Only The Beginning
by Archangela
Summary: *Formerly known as Fata Viam Invenient* Last chapter uploaded. This is *the* paving-stone for the REAL plot, which is soon going to be uploaded here as 'Fata Viam Invenient'! Explanations and thanks as the very last chapter.
1. Isn't It Ironic?

Title: Fata Viam Invenient - Chapter 1/?

Summary: Years after their graduation from Hogwarts, with Voldemort gone, Draco marries Hermione and settles down to what could have a been a beautiful and peaceful life. 

Yet trouble has been brewing on the horizon since that fateful day they exchanged vows, and someone's out to break that blissful atmosphere into pieces. 

Author's Note:

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Berna for thinking up the title, the quotes, part of the plot.. oh heck… 

(I didn't even have a decent title for this thing!) and to her little sister, Cat, who heard this story first.

Chapter One: The Brave G.I. Jane That She Is

__

*An old man turned ninety-eight

He won the lottery and died the next day

It's a black fly in your Chardonnay

It's a death row pardon two minutes too late

And isn't it ironic...dontcha think

It's like rain on your wedding day

It's a free ride when you've already paid

It's the good advice that you just didn't take

Who would've thought...it figures

Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you

When you think everything's okay and everything's going right

And life has a funny way of helping you out when

You think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up

In your face

Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you

Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out

Helping you out – Alanis Morrissete "Ironic" 

*** June 10, 2001 ***

Professor McGonagall was speaking. "And as this year is drawing to a close, I'd appreciate it if you made extra efforts for House points. The Leaving feast will commence on June 28, and there shall be a Ball at June 30…" the rest of whatever she was saying passed by Draco Malfoy, who was rather drowsy. Beside him, Hermione sat up, straight and attentive, hanging on to every word that passed from the Headmistress' lips. Draco's dusky eyes were already half-closed when Hermione gave him a quick jab in the ribs with her elbow. Draco jumped and stared at her incredulously. She smiled and stood up, slinging her ever-present bookbag over her shoulder. "You were drooling, darling. Come on, get up. We're dismissed."

Draco looked around the empty room sleepily and drawled "Another Head Boy, Head Girl, Headmistress meeting. Another night wasted… when I could be up in my common room snogging the girl of my dreams." He looked pointedly at her. She laughed softly and touched her hand to his cheek. "Draco, you know I wouldn't go up to your common room if you paid me a million Galleons." Draco twisted his fingers into her hair, saying quietly "Well, how's 'when I could be snogging the girl of my dreams right now?'"

She smiled and tilted her face up for his kiss. "Perfect."

"Have you given our happy little secret away to Potter and Weasley yet?" he murmured against her neck. "No... I still don't think they'll... understand." she replied. He pulled her away and stared at her with his smoky eyes. "Hermione, you'll have to tell them, sooner or later. It'll be worse if they find out about this on their own." Hermione shrugged. "But..." "No buts. Believe me, it's never advisable to lie to your friends." His eyes clouded over for an instance, as though lost in memories too painful to be talked about. "Now, how about you march on upstairs like the G.I. Jane that you are, and tell them _everything_." She looked up at him, her brown eyes teasing. "Everything? Including the little romp up in the Astronomy Tower?" Draco laughed, and it seemed as if it reached down to her very bones. "Well, not everything." he smiled, letting her melt into his arms.

"I'll see you tomorrow." she whispered, as they parted in front of the Fat Lady. "Definitely." Draco kissed her one more time and walked down the corridor. Both Hermione and the Fat Lady watched him saunter down the dark hall. As Hermione turned towards the painting to say the password, the Fat Lady raised an eyebrow at her. "Handsome man you have there, young lady." Hermione sighed and smiled. "I agree."

As she walked briskly across the Gryffindor common room, she steeled herself for whatever Harry and Ron's reaction may be. Hermione collapsed into the chair beside Harry, sighing deeply. "Where have you been, Hermione?" Harry asked, not taking his eyes off the chessboard. "Library." Ron answered for her, at the same time directing his knight to take Harry's bishop. Hermione grinned at Ron, but shook her head. "Nope. I've been at the weekly Head Boy/Head Girl meeting." 

Ron's reaction was immediate and startling. He jerked his bright-red head up from the chess game and stared at her. "Did Malfoy do anything to you?" Hermione almost threw her hands up in exasperation. "You seem to think that he's still the brainless snob you met on the first day of school, eh? Well, that's old news! Draco's _changed!_He's so much nicer now, and he's very polite and well-mannered, not to mention a very good student... why do you think he was made Head Boy?" Ron aimed his queen towards a square near Harry's king. "Because Daddy had made a *very* generous donation towards the school, and it was by pure coincidence he was made Head Boy *and* Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team?" Harry laughed dryly at Ron's 'witty' remark. Hermione eyed him curiously. He had been acting quite indifferently towards her right after the second bout of exams ended. Did it have anything to do with the fact that Draco was made Head Boy and he wasn't?

She shook off the feeling of impatience and faced Ron. "Ron! You have to accept the fact that he just isn't the parvenu he was before! And Lucius Malfoy is dead, everyone knows that!" Harry told his pawn to go forward a space and turned to look at Hermione. "What if you're wrong, Hermione? What if Lucius is still out there? What if Draco still is the condescending arsehole he's been for first four years of school? What if?" Hermione was stunned by this rather sharp tirade she got from one of her best friends. And what was that glittering in Harry's verdant eyes? Anger? Annoyance? Pain?

Ron laughed and waved away the uncomfortable atmosphere. 

"Why do you keep asking us about that white-haired git, anyway? It's not as if you're in love with him... are you?"

As Ron laughed at what seemed to him the funniest thing in the whole world, Harry turned away from Hermione and concentrated on the game. To Hermione, there was something in the way he bent over the pieces, in the angry way he began to recklessly order his pieces around...

She sighed and looked at Ron, who was still chuckling. "Ron, Harry... I am." 

Ron wiped tears from his eyes and pointed his knight to the next square. "What, Hermione? I couldn't hear you. I thought you said something about you REALLY being in love with Malfoy. That slimy piece of dragon dung..." 

Hermione reddened. "I am!" she blurted out, just as Harry threw down his queen and yelled: "She is!" at the top of his lungs.

There was a silence that seemed to last an eternity. Finally, Ron looked from one to another and said weakly "Well, I guess Malfoy isn't so very slimy after all."

Harry glared at Ron and strode up the staircase to his dormitory, leaving behind a very uncomfortable atmosphere.

Ron looked down at Hermione, who, kneeling, had begun putting the chess pieces back into the wooden case. "Hermione?" he laid a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears. "Don't worry, he's just... getting over the shock of it." Ron laughed dryly. "I'm trying to recover myself... It's just so… ironic, don't you think?" As the tears began to fall, he fished in his pocket and brought out a handkerchief. "Uh... 'mione?" Ron grinned sheepishly. "Um... he's not so bad." Hermione got up and threw her arms around Ron's neck, crying freely. Ron blushed deeply and patted her gingerly on the back. "You know who I ... mean. Mal- Draco is a pretty nice guy..." She pulled away and whispered a thank-you under her breath, before running up to her dormitory.

Ron watched her fly up to her room, before he turned and went up to his own, quietly shaking his head and muttering incoherently about a certain "bloody silver-haired, pale-skinned dungpile..." 

That same night, Hermione stared up at the velvet canopy and thought of that unnatural glint in Harry's eyes. It was only as she rolled over and closed her own brown ones when she realized exactly what it meant. It wasn't true anger, nor was it annoyance... it was jealousy.

*** June 11, 2001 ***

The next day dawned clear and bright, which was less than could be said for Hermione and Harry's attitude towards each other. They were talking, yet Harry didn't seem to be very interested in striking up a conversation, while Hermione's eyes were constantly shining with unshed tears. Ron was beginning to feel quite uncomfortable by the end of the day, and he finally cracked while they were studying in the Gryffindor common room that evening.

"Harry, could you… could you please pass me that parchment beside you?" Hermione's voice was weak and tremulous. Harry did not lift his eyes from his work, but he handed the parchment over. "Th-thank you." Hermione lowered her head and began to write out her beginning paragraph.

Ron looked at them, sitting apart, lost in their own world of anger and resentment, and he suddenly jumped to his feet. _"What is wrong with you two?! Hermione, will you stop being so… quiet?! You didn't even raise your hand the whole day today! Harry, do you have any idea how unnatural that is for Hermione? You really shouldn't mind who she falls in love with, because it's a purely natural reaction! Why don't you just find some private corner, kiss and make-up, because this silence is just… getting to me!" _

A ringing silence fell. The few people left in the room stared blankly as Harry and Hermione glowered. Finally, Harry got to his feet, speaking under his breath. "I wouldn't 'kiss and make-up' so easily, you know, since she's already been snogging Malfoy. You know what this is, this is… fraternizing with the enemy!" he picked up his bag, gathered his quill and parchment into his arms, and strode across the room. Soon, he had vanished out the portrait hole.

Ron collapsed into a chair, tentatively watching Hermione, who seemed on the brink of tears again. She got up as well, but left her homework on the table. "Ron, don't stay up for me… I'll be back late."

Ron watched her dash out of the room, and he smiled in spite of himself. "She just _has_to stop hiding in that damn library."

But Hermione was definitely not headed for the library. A few moments after Harry's blow-up, she skidded to a stop in front of the blank stone wall that was the entrance to the Slytherin common room. She took several deep breaths, and intoned out loud "You are sunlight, and I moon."

Suddenly, a separate panel slid open in the wall, and Hermione stepped inside.

Draco emerged from the shadows, whispering softly "Joined by the gods of fortune. Midnight and high noon sharing the sky." It was Draco's private quarters in a room connected to the Slytherin common room. Hermione had one too, but it was nothing as beautiful as Draco's.

He smiled at her and reached out a slim hand to caress her hair. "I changed that password just for you." She smiled weakly, but despair took over her fair features once more. She moved closer, her eyes flat. "Draco… he's angry. Harry just can't… accept it." Draco looked only mildly concerned. "Hermione, he was probably in love with you too. I know how it feels, to have one's heart broken… only to have the girl of my dreams come along and pick it all up… piecing the shards back together in a special way only the cleverest witch in Hogwarts could." 

Right before Draco's lips met hers, Hermione whispered to herself… as if she needed assurance… "Yes. He was just jealous. It shall pass."

***June 15, 2001***

Hermione laid her hand on Draco's chest, staring quietly into the fire. Classes had ended, and they were curled up on the velvet green couch in Draco's quarters. The fire had been magically charmed so it gave off no heat, yet the pretty green flames merrily danced along the logs. "What are you going to do after graduation?" she asked him, out of the blue. Draco was quiet for a while, then replied slowly, reverting back into his lazy drawl. 

"Nothing."

Hermione reached up and playfully stroked his cheek, patting the smooth skin. "Well, you can definitely afford to, can't you? I'll probably become an Auror… Harry plans to go for training as well…" Draco just continued to stare into the fire. Then his dawn-tinted lips silently formed the words. _"My mother."_ Hermione sat up, watching the unreal expression on his face. He seemed lost in some world far beyond her each, where she didn't exist, where there was only one Draco Malfoy, still under his father's power, feigning arrogance and a strong personality to hide the scars of a cruel parent and the terror of living under the Dark Lord. Hermione shuddered, despite the warm weather. She touched his shoulder gently, and he jerked back into reality, his silvery grey eyes startled.

He looked at her, and the hard, sharp, pained look in his smoky eyes softened. "Sorry."

Hermione raised a hand to silence him. "Draco… I understand." He looked at her for a moment, simply watching her, with no emotion, yet no hostility either. And without a word, he bent towards her and drowned out her next words with a sweet, simple kiss. 

***June 19, 2001***

School was getting rather strange, as half of their professors stopped teaching them, saying that they had nothing left to teach. The other half piled even more work on them, claiming "You are all leaving Hogwarts and preparing to venture out into the magical world alone.". That was spoken by Professor Trelawney on their last day of Divination. 

They were all crammed into that hot, perfumed room of hers for the last time in their lives, and it was all Harry and Ron could do to keep from shouting in joy. "To help you prepare for your new beginnings, I shall read your future, and tell you about all that you must do to live your lives to the fullest." she gazed around at all of them. Ron nudged Harry and whispered "Silly bat probably thinks this is some kind of –year-end treat." Harry snorted. Professor Trelawney glanced at them and called out in her mistiest voice "Weasley… approach. I shall help you foresee what is to come in your life, and I shall help you learn how to…" Ron got to his feet, muttering "Yeah, yeah… how to live my life to the fullest… I could be racing around on the Quidditch pitch by now… that's life in the fullest…"

"I see… money." Professor Trelawney whispered, laying her hands on Ron's head. Ron's eyes widened. "Really?!" She shushed him and continued on. "I see… a woman!" The class hooted, and Ron turned ruby red. "A dark-haired woman… with beautiful eyes… Weasley… she loves you…" The 

Gryffindors whooped loudly, and it seemed impossible for Ron to go any redder. Behind Harry, who was actually interested for the first time, Lavender was teasing Parvati, who was just as red as Ron.

Professor Trelawney took her bony hands off Ron's head and motioned for Neville to come forward. As Neville got up and very promptly fell down again, Ron mimicked Professor Trelawney by gripping his hair and saying in a wispy voice "I see… a lot of red hair!" Harry laughed, but watched intently as the professor placed two fingers on Neville's temples.

After she had predicted 'many injuries of many sorts' for poor Neville, she beckoned Harry to come forward.

Harry sat down across from her and closed his eyes, well aware that everyone in the room was watching him. Professor Trelawney stared at him through her huge spectacles and placed her palms on Harry's head. 

_"Oh… unhappiness in store for you, my dear." _Her voice seemed to be coming from very far away. _"Unhappiness… jealousy… grief. True love shall be snatched away, my boy, and you shall try to snatch it back… and fail miserably. I sense danger… loss of control… my boy, beware the white woman encased in stone." _Harry crinkled up his forehead. How true can this be? He wondered. _"I see… loss of power, and incarceration, yet you shall be freed… at a terrible, frightful cost. You shall take one's life for your own… and you shall not be spared any guilt, my boy… my boy…"_

Harry's eyes flew open. Professor Trelawney looked very pale, and his classmates looked upset. Even Ron was watching him strangely.

"What happened?" Harry croaked as they left the room. The professor had dismissed them early, and they all ran off in different directions, but Harry and Ron headed to the common room to talk to Hermione. Ron blinked at him. "I can't really say. But she went all rigid, and she wasn't' saying anything… just opening her mouth and closing it again, like some kind of glittery, bony fish…" Harry looked at him quizzically. "But I heard her talking to me." Ron looked at him. " I don't really understand this…" Harry looked down at his hands, slender and tan. "Neither do I."

***June 21, 2001***

Draco stood beside her desk, and dropped a small box onto the polished mahogany surface. He then took out a falcon-feather quill and wrote a short note.

_"Dear Hermione,_

Happy 17th birthday, darling! Just a little token of my affection. I know you keep your birthday a secret, but seeing how Weasley and Potter are treating you… well, I didn't want you to think everyone forgot your birthday. I most definitely didn't.

Love, Draco."

Draco grinned and conjured up a small blue candle. This he lighted with a bluebell flame, and set down on the note, beside the silver-and-gold wrapped box. Then he left.

Hermione came in much later, and was deeply surprised to see a present for her. She knew that it had to be from Draco, as he and the teachers were the only ones who knew the password to her quarters. She read the note, smiling, and began to unwrap the box. But the minute she touched it, the ribbon began to unknot itself, and the wrapping paper fell off neatly. Hermione stared at the velvet box, and it slowly opened to reveal a pair of amethyst earrings, shaped into small hearts. with silver studs. Hermione smiled slowly, happy tears beginning to prickle in her eyes. "You didn't forget." she whispered.

***June 22, 2001***

"Don't you think you and Hermione should make up already?" Ron asked, nudging his pawn to go forward two spaces. Harry looked up sharply. "Why would you say that?" 

"It's getting uncomfortable."

"And?"

"Well, she looks so… _hurt._"

"And I'm supposed to care? Hey, knight on D9, move over that way."

"Yeah, Harry. You're supposed to care. You're – no, _we're _her best friends." 

Harry was quiet as he pointed his castle to step forward. Then he said "Fine. I'll be nice. But I won't apologize."

Ron stared down at the chessboard. "Okay, no one asked you to apologize. Just be nice to her again." 

He talked a bit to the pieces, moved his bishop to the side and laughed out loud. "Checkmate! It's all over, brother oh boy!" he crowed.

*** June 25, 2001 ***

The last Hogsmeade weekend of the year came right after they received their test results… and 

exactly five days before the Ball. Harry and Hermione seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement not to discuss Hermione's love life at all. This topic, however, seemed inevitable that day in the Three Broomsticks.

"So Hermione, who's taking you out to the Ball?" Parvati smiled at her from across the table. Hermione smiled to herself. She knew exactly who was taking her, but there was no way in heaven or in hell she was going to tell them. There was such a thing as the element of surprise, you know. Hermione caught Draco's eye over his brimming mug of butterbeer, and she gave him a discreet wink. He blew a kiss back, and immediately pretended to be occupied with his seal ring.

Parvati waved a heavily-jeweled hand in front of Hermione's face. "Hello?! I just asked you a question!" Hermione blinked at her. "Oh, that's a secret! You'll just have to wait until the Ball." Then she turned to Ron, who was sitting beside Parvati, with one arm draped over her shoulders, and she smiled. "Don't worry, Ron. Viktor Krum's not flying his broomstick all the way from Bulgaria just to dance with me."

Ron heaved a huge, fake sigh while Harry chuckled. Then, Hermione leaned towards Harry and Ron, dropping her voice down to a whisper. "Please don't tell anyone Draco's taking me." She blushed. "I kind of… wanted it to be a surprise." Ron grinned widely at her, nodding his head exuberantly. Harry nodded as well and straightened up almost immediately. 

Suddenly… 

"Hey! Guess who Hermione's taking!" Ron bellowed across the table, his blue eyes gleaming with rascality. "He's a handsome, dashing Slytherin, and everything he does is an act of grace and poise… guess who?!" Hermione stared at Ron, dumbstruck. Across the room, Draco stood up abruptly, knocking over his mug of butterbeer. Ron grinned mischievously at the two of them and yelled out loud again "It's _Goyle!_" The pub, which had fallen silent at the outrageous first words, exploded in laughter. Hermione, who had almost fainted in relief, suddenly felt a hand touch hers. She looked up… straight into Harry Potter's burning green eyes. "Can I talk to you?" he whispered under the chuckles of the crowd. Hermione nodded, and grabbing her bag, she followed him outside, past Draco, who was watching them shrewdly.

"What's wrong, Harry?" 

The sun shone down brightly, warming their cheeks and lips, flushing them a slight pink. Harry had led her to a quiet corner of Hogsmeade, where the trees offered a bit of shade. He turned around and smiled at her, and Hermione wondered at the change that came over him while he was in Hogwarts. He had grown into one of the finest men she had ever seen, with beautifully chiseled features, a slender body, those sparkling green eyes… and of course, the scar. Harry looked up at the sky, as if trying to remember the main reason he had drawn her away from the celebrations. "Hermione, I know that… Draco's taking you to the Ball… but…" he turned those emerald eyes upon her again. "is there any chance of you rethinking your choice of a… date?" 

Hermione stood there, just looking at him. There was something in his eyes that made her feel as if she said "No." she would have broken his heart beyond repair. It was longing, a frail sort of hope, a bit of despair… and something else. _"Love." _she realized, startled. She dropped her eyes to her hands, nervously twisting a certain ring on her finger. _"Draco gave me this ring… right before the end of sixth year. He said something… *Save the last dance for me.*"_

Hermione met Harry's gaze, straight and definite. And with one word, she proceeded to crush his hopes and dreams into irreparable shreds. In one word, a part of Harry was lost forever, lost to one certain blond-haired, handsome Slytherin seventh year. 

"No."

One deep breath. One painful smile. One tear in his eye. And one broken heart. 

Harry took a deep breath, smiled and tried to pretend that he wasn't crying. "Okay. I kind of knew you'd say that." He turned away, still smiling, still hurt. "I guess we'd better be getting back…" he gulped. "Draco will be looking for you." 

The minute Harry had turned away, Hermione knew she had been too harsh. At once, she tried to take it back… that one word that had stabbed her best friend in the heart. But it was too late. 

No matter how she pleaded, cajoled, apologized, Harry would hear nothing to it. He simply kept walking back to the pub, still smiling that smile that betrayed his true pain. "It's okay, Hermione… I understand. I'll just ask someone else…" Finally, Hermione could take it no longer. She grabbed his hand, causing him to spin around to face her. 

"Harry, I'm really, truly sorry. I know I shouldn't have said it that way. I promise, you won't be left alone at the Ball. I'll help you find a date, someone who's much, much better than me… I should have broken the news to you more gently…" she broke off, aware that she was babbling. She blushed, not daring to look up at him. Then she felt his fingers on her face, gently tilting her face up. "Hermione, I already knew." She started. "About Draco and I? How…?" 

Now it was Harry's turn to blush. "I was walking past the Charms classroom one night… under the Invisibility Cloak… then I heard some… sounds. I walked in… and you were there. With Draco, I mean." He looked past Hermione's reddening face to the sunlit landscape behind her, recalling the memory of that painful day…

__

*He was off to get food from the kitchens for the party celebrating the end of the exams. He walked freely under his Cloak, rehearsing the simple remark he was going to use to get that precious chance to ask Hermione to the Ball. It would be his last chance to finally admit to her everything. Even though he wasn't even completely sure about everything. He wasn't sure exactly when he had fallen in love with her. He wasn't sure if it was the way her hair always caught the light exactly at the same moment he was staring at her, framing her face with a golden-cinnamon halo. Or was it how she always got the exact answer at the exact time? 

"Who cares?! This is love… and you don't have to be exact about love!" Harry grinned and set off down the Charms corridor, enjoying every moment of being invisible. He passed the half-open Charms door, and… stopped dead.

Muffled noises were coming from inside, and Harry, getting curiouser and curiouser, silently slipped in. 

In a few minutes, his eyes, which had slowly adjusted to the dim light, widened in horror and shock.

It was Hermione, and she wasn't alone. Draco was with her… or to be exact**, **all over her. 

__

Harry watched, frozen to the spot, as Draco's lips traveled down Hermione's neck, doing everything Harry had longed to do since fifth year…

It was then, when Harry understood, while spying on something he should never have seen, that there was something 'exact' about this moment. 

That was the exact moment he had realized that Hermione was never to be his**.***

Harry blinked and looked back at Hermione, at the embarrassed expression distorting her lovely features. "She's grown so much..." Harry thought sadly. This was true, for at seventeen, Hermione was no longer the uptight, bookish and bossy girl she was when they had first met on the train... yes, she still tended to take authority whenever a groupwork was assigned, and yes, she still treated books as respectfully as she treated Professor McGonagall... but she had definitely taken a turn for the better.

She had grown a slender figure that made other girls turn green with envy, and her hair had tamed down into a beautiful tousled head of golden-brown curls. But Hermione wasn't conceited. It was the last thing she could ever be, priding herself in her studies and grades instead of her latest boyfriend. And all these, bravery, diligence, cleverness, charm and beauty all added up to one Hermione Granger. The only one Harry Potter ever loved.

__

"Harry?! You saw us!" An anguished shriek brought Harry crashing back to earth. Hermione was now red in the face, and wringing her hands nervously. Harry tried to placate her... "I really didn't see that much. I left almost immediately... because..." his voice dropped dramatically. "I couldn't stand it anymore." Suddenly, at theses words, spoken so very innocently, laced with a tinge of pain... Hermione softened. "Harry, I..." she took a deep breath, and tried to recall the speech Parvati and Lavender made her memorize "in case one of your friends fall for you." (according to Lavender herself.) "Harry, you're a wonderful person. You're really sweet and kind, and you've been almost nothing but nice to me my whole time here in Hogwarts." Harry's eyes held a quizzical expression at this. "I just wanted to say this, Harry..." Hermione continued, screwing her face up. "I don't... think we'd be compatible." Suddenly Harry grabbed her by her upper arms. The smile on his face made Hermione forget everything... her carefully-planned lines, the exact tone of voice and face expressions she was going to use... they were all swept away with one ardent smile on the lips of the boy with the scar.

"You're wrong there!" Harry grinned and shook her slightly. "We're so compatible, we're practically the school Lover Boy and Girl!" Hermione's mouth dropped open in protest. Harry ignored that and continued his mad tirade. "Look, everyone in school thinks we're together, oh hell, half of them even think we've slept together once or twice!" Hermione's mind was screaming "Bloody murder!" but she was speechless. "If we went to the Ball together, we wouldn't even be creating a commotion anymore, since everyone thinks we're madly in love with each other, right?!" Harry beamed, his glasses knocked slightly askew. This was too much for Hermione.

She pulled away and straightened her robes. "But we aren't! We aren't madly in love with each other! There's absolutely nothing going on between us but-" she groped for the right word to say to the now stunned Harry. "-best friendship! And I'm going to prove that! Come June 30, I'll show everyone that I am _not_ Hermione Potter!" She spluttered, looking almost nothing like the elegant and graceful Hermione that graced the halls of Hogwarts during every Yule Ball.

Harry stood there, a small smile on his face, watching Hermione rant on and on. Finally he gave up and seized her hand, saying in a mock-bored tone: "Oh come on! Ron would have probably finished my mug of bitter-butterbeer by now!" He winked slyly at her. "And Draco's probably waiting for a good, toasty snog from you!" Hermione stopped dead and smiled back at him. "I'm too tired for snogging. Do me a favor and take my place tonight with Draco, okay?"

They laughed and set off down the road. As they walked arm in arm, Hermione heard herself saying "No hard feelings?" And Harry bent down, and with a chaste, friendly little kiss... "Nope, not at all."

But maybe, just maybe… his tears hadn't stopped yet.

*** The same day, just outside the Three Broomsticks ***

Ginny came running out to meet Harry and Hermione, a smile stretching across her freckled face. "I just got permission to go and pick my own dress robes for the Ball!" Hermione stared at her with pleasant surprise. "Really? But I thought the Ball was only for us seventh years? Unless…" Harry grinned down at Ginny and finished Hermione's sentence. "Someone invited you? Who?" Ginny's face suddenly lost the excited, happy look, and she stared down at her scuffed shoes. "Um… Blaise Zabini."

Harry opened his mouth to protest, but Hermione, throwing him a quick look to shut him up, smiled down at the embarrassed Ginny. "Hey! He's cute! Have you ever seen the way his blue eyes shine when he tells a good joke? You're a lucky girl to snag that cutie… now, why don't you accompany me to the Raycyn Ravishing Robes shop? I still have to pick _my _dress robes too, you know!" Harry smiled at Hermione as Ginny's face brightened. "Yeah, Ginny. Slytherins aren't all bad, you know?" He nudged Hermione imperceptibly. She frowned at him and led Ginny down the road, calling over her shoulder "Tell Ron and… *ahem!* that I'll be in Honeydukes after the robes shop!"

Ginny bounced along beside Hermione, unleashing all her pent-up energy. "I can't _believe_he asked me out! I waited and waited for someone to ask me to the Ball, because I really, really! wanted to attend, but then, all of a sudden, after their Potions class, Blaise comes up to me, all shy and smiling… and asks me to go with him! I was _so_ surprised!" she continued on this vein for a few minutes, while Hermione let her mind wander, occasionally nodding and saying a positive word or two.

Suddenly, Ginny stopped in the middle of the path and gazed up at her. "Who's taking you? You never told me! Wait, let me guess… Ron?" Hermione laughed, her perfect teeth gleaming in the bright June sun. "No way! You've seen him and Parvati together…" Ginny agreed and they continued to walk towards the other end of Hogsmeade, where the famous Raycyn Ravishing Robes shop was located.

A passerby would occasionally hear snatches of their giggly conversation, such as…

"How about Dean Thomas?" "Isn't he going with that pretty girl from Hufflepuff… Kate?"

"Neville?" "Oh no, he confessed to me that he was taking your friend, Nadine Matre… oh! I shouldn't have said that!"

Then, Ginny unknowingly blundered onto a painful name, like accidentally kicking a bruised shin.

"Oh, why hadn't I asked this before?! It must be Harry!"

Hermione stopped and raised an eyebrow at the red-head. "Harry? Now what makes you say that?" Ginny shrugged. "Well, you've been the best of friends since first year, and you're always together… you know what I mean." Ginny winked. "Does he snog good?" Then she laughed out loud at Hermione's shocked expression. "Just kidding, Hermione. Keep your robes on." 

It was only when they had entered the colorful, buzzing robes shop when Ginny ventured another question. "So it's really Harry, isn't it?" Hermione answered from inside the dressing stall, where she was trying on some of the robes that had taken her fancy. "No, Ginny. It's not Harry. I won't tell you who he is, either. It's going to be a surprise." Hermione smiled at her reflection, and took out her wand. _"Adiotido" _she whispered, performing the simple charm that would transform her hair into the style she was going to wear to the Ball. After her hair had been charmed into a beautiful updo, she twirled around in front of the mirror, loving everything she saw.

"Hermione, could you help me…" Ginny walked into the dressing room, a bundle of differently-colored robes in her arms. They all tumbled out, however, when she saw Hermione.

__

"Hermione!" she squealed, rushing over. "It's beautiful! Harry would love you in this…" she trailed off, quenched by the look Hermione gave her. "Well… it's a splendid dress robes, and the color fits you perfectly. Oh, Hermione, you'll be the star of the Ball!" Ginny's eyes twinkled for a moment, giving her a whole new look.

Ina few moments, they had Hermione's hair back in it's naturally tousled state, and the dress robes packed and paid for. Now came the tougher task of getting Ginny a dress.

Robes after robes was tossed aside as the search became wilder and wilder. 

"No, the color is absolutely horrid."

"The neckline's too low, don't you think?" 

"Still too low…"

"Ginny! Ron will kill me if I let you out in that robes!"

Finally, with a tall pile of robes on the floor, and just one left on the rack they had been ruffling through…

"This is perfect." Ginny said, with the note of satisfaction very pronounced in her voice. She spun around in front of the mirror, not unlike Hermione's own revelry in finding the perfect dress robes. 

A silky maroon dress clung to her curves, making Hermione feel as if little Ginny had really grown up. She recalled Ron's words, spoken one cold, rainy day back in March, in a tone of wistful irritation. _"Ginny's growing up too fast… before I know it, she'll be running around in dress robes and hanging on to every guy's arm." _Suddenly Hermione stood up. "Ginny! It's maroon!" Ginny pouted dramatically at her reflection and said "Exactly. It doesn't clash with my hair, and it's a pretty good color for the evening …" she trailed off and looked at Hermione. "Ron's not going to like that." she whispered. 

"But it's so pretty!" Ginny flopped down onto a chair, all grace lost in the exasperation of the moment. Oh yes, the robes was pretty, with a neckline Ron wouldn't complain about, with a nicely-cut sleeveless bodice that showed off her ivory arms, and the kind of skirt that was currently the fashion among the girls in Hogwarts… close-fitting and fanning out into a slight flare at the bottom. Ginny frowned. "Well, I don't really care anymore! I'm wearing this whether he likes it or not!" Hermione laughed. "That's the spirit!"

Ron wasn't too angry about the dress robes when he found out. Apparently, Hermione had told Harry, and Harry let it slip to Ron, clearly thinking that it was an excellent joke. "Ginny! Maroon?! How could you walk into Raycyn Ravishing Robes Shop and buy a maroon robes, for pete's sake?" Ron pointed at the price tag, his face matching the robes Ginny held up in front of him. "How much… five Galleons and fourteen Sickles…" Ron was breathing very heavily now, and Ginny looked as if she was on the edge of tears. Hermione quickly jumped in. "Ron, calm down! I paid for some of that!" Ron glared at her. "Maroon! How could you let my sister…" Hermione shot him the Bossy look. "It's Ginny's first time at this kind of Hogwart's event, and I want it to be perfect for her. She's your sister, is it a fact that I would care for her more than you do?" Ron seemed to deflate, as if someone hit him with an especially powerful Pricking Charm. 

He took a deep breath, glanced at the beautiful maroon robes one last time and dropped his arms to his side. "Okay… Fine, Ginny." He looked over at his sister and smiled. "So… who's taking you? You still haven't told me, you know." Ginny paled and ran up to her dormitory, calling "It's a surprise!" over her shoulder.

*** June 26, 2001, Gryffindor common room***

Another endless chess game for Ron and Harry. Another endless book for Hermione. Another endless day of sunshine. 

Hermione sighed and shut her book, setting it down on the table with a loud *thump*. "So, tell me… who are you taking out to the Ball?" Ron chuckled to himself. "You know who I'm taking." And he shot a wink at Parvati, who was sitting across the room talking about her dress robes with Lavender. Harry persuaded his knight to move to the next square and looked up at the two of them, his eyes a bit troubled.

"I don't have a date yet." He said. Ron dropped his queen. ("Ouch! Hey, watch it!") "Huh?! Harry, you told me you had your eye set on a special girl… and she was going to say 'yes' any day soon… what happened?" Harry kept his eyes on the chess board, not looking up. "Well… she kinda… turned me down." Ron guffawed and clapped a hand to his forehead. "Whaat?! A girl, turn down the Boy-Who-Lived?! What a joke!" Hermione resisted the urge to smack Ron halfway across the room, and patiently said "She had her reasons, Ron. She was… er… taken." Ron shook his head at Harry, adopting a Percy demeanor. "Harry! I suggest you acquire a female partner to the Ball at once! It is most improper to attend without a partner!" Harry looked like he was torn between laughing and smacking Ron halfway across the room as well. "Ron, look…" Harry sighed. "I'll make you a deal. By the end of this day, I've got one of the prettiest girls in Hogwarts as my date. I'll swear that on…" Harry grabbed the nearest book he could find, the huge volume Hermione was reading. "On_… Allures and Admirers – How to attract the most handsome guy in your school._" They broke apart laughing, Hermione turning pink.

Of course, just like the first time back in fourth year, getting a date was much, MUCH harder than any of them expected. Harry had a pretty hard time finding the special girl who would make his last night in Hogwarts extra-special… _"but I found her already. Someone just got to her first" _he thought as he wandered down the fifth-floor corridor aimlessly.He was so caught up in his thoughts that he blundered right into somebody. "Oof!" she cried out as she fell to the floor. Harry straightened his glasses and bent down instantly to pull the girl up. 

"Berna!" he exclaimed, once the girl had composed herself.

Berna looked up at him as she pulled her robes back into shape, pleasant surprise plain on her fresh young face. "Harry? Hello, it's been a while! You haven't shown up for our study group in a long time. How are you?" Harry grinned. "I'm fine. How are you?" They set off down the hall together, talking and laughing.

Berna Guerrero was a very pretty Ravenclaw prefect who had been organized a study group that Harry had joined when seventh year started. She was clever, trustworthy, and very good in giving advice. In fact, she was the only girl in the whole of Hogwarts who knew about Harry's unrequited love for Hermione Granger. She was also the one who had helped Harry get up the courage to ask Hermione out, before everything fell apart because of a certain dragon with a bad idea.

"I was just going down to the lake to do some thinking. Would you like to come along?" Berna asked, gathering up her books. "Why not? Thinking is something I haven't done lately." Harry walked along beside her, cleaning his glasses on his shirt. "And why is that?" the girl asked, clutching her books to her chest. Harry looked at her intently and decided that he could tell her everything.

"Berna, listen. You know that I … like Hermione, right?" When the girl nodded, her hair swinging, Harry began to walk faster, his eyes on the stone-flagged floor. "Well, how would you feel if… the one you loved was madly in love with another?" he glanced up at her, his eyes burning. An expression of sympathy appeared on Berna's face and her eyes crinkled in concern. "I'd feel terrible, Harry. Bu I can't really say that I know how that would feel…" 

A little voice awoke inside the Ravenclaw girl, whispering in a sinister tone. _"Ah, you lie again. Berna, You know very well how that feels… don't you?" _And Berna had no choice but to agree.

They left the castle and set out across the grounds, the crisp grass crackling under their feet. The sun was already in the west, and the birds were singing a sunset serenade, while the lake rippled of it's own accord. As they walked towards the privacy of the trees, Harry began to divulge most of his inner feelings to Berna. _"Strange, isn't it? That you trust her so much…" _

"And then she just told me… no." Harry had removed his glasses and was tensely running his fingers up and down the frame. Berna watched the nervous movements of his hands before raising her blue eyes to his face, which looked amazingly fragile and naked without the glasses. "Harry, I… I really don't know what to say…" she looked over the lake, up at the sky… at the birds flying over the dark waters. Then Harry did something unexpected. He took her hand in his, still watching her with those sparkling green eyes of his. "You don't have to say anything, really. I'm just glad you… listened." Berna flushed a bright pink at the warmth of his hand. _"Is this really Harry Potter? Is this the wizard who defeated the Dark Lord before he was barely a year old? Is this the naïve youth I once saw wandering through Hogwarts back in my first year? Is this the one who plaintively begged me to help him with his History of Magic assignments? Is Harry Potter really holding my hand?" _This all flashed through her head at amazing speed.

All of a sudden, it was gone. The warmth, the gentle pressure, his hand. Berna moved her hand away, suddenly unsure of what to do with it.

"What are you going to do now?" Berna cupped her chin in her hands and leaned forward, watching Harry intently. Harry leaned back against the tree and looked out over the lake, shining in the brilliant June sun. "I really don't know. Hermione's not mad at me, but I have this feeling that after this Ball's over…" he looked over at the sixth-year girl. "Our friendship will never be the same again." Berna nodded, her chestnut hair cascading over her shoulders. "So who are you going to take to the Ball now?" she asked the figure reclining under the tree. Harry shrugged indifferently and lazily closed his eyes. Berna smiled to herself and kept quiet.

After a moment of comfortable silence, Harry blinked his eyes open. "Berna, are you going to the Ball?" Berna, startled, blushed and looked away. "No… no one's asked me yet." Harry tossed a small pebble into the lake. "I don't mean to boast, but I'm finding this whole 'Boy-Who-Lived' business a bit tiring. Girls were lining up to ask me to the Ball - " At this, Berna suddenly began decapitating buttercups. "- and none of those girls were… right for me." Harry's green eyes suddenly clouded over. 

"I'm having such a hard time looking for the perfect girl, Berna. There was one, who I thought was going to be The One… but she was stolen away from me by some Slytherin." Berna's eyes, the color of the sky on a shining, cloudless day, shone for a brief moment. "Hermione and Draco?" Harry nodded, his face expressionless. More silence. The two teens watched the sun swing lower and lower, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

__

"He really doesn't know, does he?" Berna watched the young man at her feet. _"He doesn't know that the one girl who loves him for what he is, not what she will become when she is with him, is right here beside him." _She smiled sadly, twirling a bit of her hair between her fingers. _"He doesn't know that I've loved him ever since I first laid eyes on him… as a bewildered second-year, lost in the halls of Hogwarts. He doesn't know that the strong, smart Berna Guerrero is actually falling to pieces because of Harry Potter. He doesn't know that when I've finally lied to myself and persuaded him to find another date, that I have brought about the breaking of my own heart. He doesn't know that I love him, does he?" _The sun was going down, and Harry's time to find a date was running short. _"He doesn't know. And he will never know."_

Harry watched Berna out of the corner of his eye. She seemed troubled, like she wanted to say something very important, yet something else was holding her back. _'What? What's keeping her from saying whatever she wants to say? Her heart? Her mind? Or maybe her pride…" _Berna picked buttercups and shredded them, taking petal after petal. It was an act of nervousness, of uneasiness. _"She's been extremely helpful to me this year 'round. Giving me advice on how to treat Hermione better, how to drop little hints… not to mention working out that nasty sixth-version Rune translation for me." _Harry now turned around and gazed at Berna openly. She glanced back at him, through eyes sapphire. _"Maybe she likes me. Maybe she doesn't. She's pretty, intelligent, and she's got a terrific personality… kind and reliable… Well, it's the least I can do for a excellent friend… and Ron's going to kill me if I come back without a date." _

"Berna?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Would you like to come to the Ball with me?"

Silence.

Berna's eyes shone, all the affection she had felt over the years spilling out… finally. Harry smiled at her, his beautiful emerald eyes twinkling. "I take that as a yes?" he laughed.

"Oh, Harry!"

The sun set, casting bright orange light over the land, illuminating the expressions of happiness on two teenagers under the tree by the lake. But as the day ended, and the sky grew ever darker, something seemed false in the contented scene under the wavering leaves. 

If the truth be told, only one of the two people under the tree was truly in love with the other.

***June 27, 2002***

"Well, that's it then?!" Ron grinned as his bishop stepped bravely forward. Harry's king jumped up and flung his tiny crown to the black and white chessboard. "Checkmate, brother! It's all over!" Ron laughed as Harry's face paled. "How do you do it?" he asked, stunned. Ron shrugged gleefully. "Style. Oi, you owe me a bag of Every Flavor Beans, mind you, and taste-test the funny-looking ones first."

Hermione smiled as she watched them put away the pieces. _"Like brothers. Harry found his brother in Ron. I'm glad for them." _Hermione was an only child, and after seeing how the Weasley family was so pleasant, she felt lonely at times. But only in summer and in the holidays, when she would stay with her parents in their snug bungalow. Here in Hogwarts, she was surrounded by brothers and sisters…

Speaking of sisters, Parvati Patil wandered over to where Hermione sat alone, curled up on the couch. "Hey, Hermione. What are you reading? School's almost over and you're still studying?" Hermione laughed and pulled the book away. "No, this is for the Ball." She turned the book over. "_How To Fix Your Unlucky-In-Love Loser Best Friend Up With The Most Gorgeous Person Available… _by Margarita Margie." Parvati read out loud. She suddenly looked up at Hermione, her brown eyes reproachful behind long lashes. "You aren't fixing Ron up with anybody, are you?" Hermione shook her head, her curls bouncing. "Definitely not, Parvati. You and Ron are meant to be." She winked. Parvati looked over to where Ron and Harry had started a tussle over the last Chocolate Frog. "I hope you're right. He's just so… _charming." _she sighed dreamily as Ron gave out a crude burp. "Uh, yes… Ron's a terrific guy. He's got a great sense of humor." Hermione patted Parvati's hand in a motherly sort of way.

"So, who _are_ you fixing up? If it's not Ron… it must be…" Parvati looked back to where Harry and Ron were now engaged in some kind of playful tussle, with Ron cracking Harry's glasses, and Harry pushing Ron to the floor. "Oh! Who are you fixing Harry up with?!" Parvati squealed.

"Ssh! That's exactly what I want to know! I can't fix him up with anybody, since he waited until the very last moment to go hunting for a date. I don't know if he's found one already, because he and Ron made a bet yesterday that Harry could find a date in twenty-four hours." Hermione lowered her voice.

Parvati thought for a while then called out across the room. "Harry! Have you found a date yet?" At that, Ron stood up, wiped his nose and said "Yeah, Harry! That's _another _bet you've lost!" Harry brushed himself off and stood up, carrying his cracked glasses in one hand. "No, I didn't lose _that _bet! I found a date already… and wouldn't you like to know who she is?" Ron laughed and pretended to punch Harry. "No Harry, I don't want to know who you're date is. The thought of Millicent Bulstrode in one of those flimsy dress robes is too much for my weak stomach." Harry handed Hermione his glasses for repair and grinned. "Nah, Millicent was taken. So I found another one."

Ooh! Do tell us! We're _dying _of curiosity!" Parvati cooed. "Well, not really dying, but…" Hermione cut in with a patronizing tone. Harry shushed them and leaned close.

"You know that good-looking Ravenclaw prefect?" Harry asked them, his eyes twinkling. Ron screwed his face up, thinking. "Harry! All the Ravenclaw prefects are guys!" he said loudly. Hermione and Parvati turned to Harry, who was blushing a deep red. "A guy?" Hermione asked slowly. "A guy?" Parvati raised a perfectly-plucked eyebrow. "A Ravenclaw prefect?!" Ron shuddered. 

Harry sighed deeply. "No, no, no. The _other _Ravenclaw prefect." 

"Oh! Berna Geh… Goo-weh… something!" Parvati piped up. "Guerrero." Harry said pointedly. Hermione clapped her hands in delight. "Oh, I know her! She's the pretty, quiet one, with the big blue eyes… oh Harry! You're perfect together!" All of a sudden, the conversation of a few days ago returned to her mind. _*"We're so compatible, we're practically the school Lover Boy and Girl!"* _For a few moments, she was quiet, amazed at the emotion in that sentence, then she smiled up at Harry, glad he found such a beautiful girl. Ron cuffed Harry in a friendly way. "Good for you! Ginny says she's a real muffin." 

"Who did I say was a real muffin?" Ginny walked into their little circle. "Berna Guerrero, the Ravenclaw you take Astronomy with." Parvati said. "Oh, her. What about her? I think she's the one we caught snogging Jason McKone in the broom cupboard." Ginny replied matter-of-factly. Then she chortled at their shocked expressions. "I was kidding. That might have been May Lopez. What about Berna?" Ron jerked his thumb at Harry. "This lucky guy here gets to take her out." Ginny's eyes went wide. "Really?! How nice!"

Hermione extracted herself from the giggling, laughing crowd of people and went to the tapestry that separated her private quarters from the rest of Gryffindor Tower. She recited the password under her breath, lest anyone hear her. "Where we sing until dawn of our fears and our fates." she whispered to the tapestry, which was a lovely dark blue cloth woven with silver stars and a golden moon. She waited a moment more, then walked right through the tapestry and the wall behind it.

She emerged into her private quarters, which was a lovely bedroom with a bathroom connected to it. There was also a room where she could study and read, and it had a door which led to the Great Hall. She dropped down onto her red and gold bedspread and closed her eyes.

"It's perfectly okay. He's got Berna, and I've got Draco. We're happy."

_"Are you sure about that?_

"Oh yes. He seemed so happy when he told us about her."

_"Maybe he was just hiding it, Hermione."_

"Hiding what? Harry wouldn't hide anything from me, I'm his friend."

_"Exactly. He loves _you. _Not Berna, not anyone else."_

"No. Harry… wouldn't do… that."

_"I hear doubt in your tone. You don't trust yourself either, do you?"_

"Shut up! All I want is Harry's happiness…"

_"What if you were his only happiness? Would you give yourself up?_

Knowing that you don't love him?"

"I love Harry like a brother!"

_"Ah… but does he love you as a sister?"_

Hermione jerked awake, and sat up abruptly. "Damn." She whispered, and ran off to the Slytherin common room.

__

"Hermione? What's wrong?" Draco took her by her hands, leading her forward into his room. She glanced up at him, at his fair features, his beautiful blond hair, his smoky eyes that made you want to tell all your tales to this aristocratic god. Hermione looked away, trying to find the right words to tell her boyfriend that she was mildly jealous of her best friend's date.

__

"Draco… Harry's found a date. She's beautiful and smart, everything I ever wanted to be… and guess what… I hate her guts."

Nope.

_"Draco, how would you feel if your best friend started dating a girl who doesn't like you? Who absolutely despises you because she thinks you used to date her man?"_

No way.

"Hermione? Is something wrong? Tell me."

"No Draco. Everything's fine."

***June 28, 2001***

It was a wild night, full of overflowing mugs of butterbeer, plates of food fit to make anyone gain fifty pounds in one sitting, and of course, the magic that tingled in the air.

Harry grabbed a cracker and pulled it, in the midst of the laughing, talking crowd of Gryffindors. Bright red smoke gushed forth, accompanied by several small fireworks that spiraled towards the enchanted ceiling, which was already a deep blue-black speckled with silver dots. Several trinkets fell out of the cracker, like a bright pink bonnet with lurid green blossoms, Russian dolls in the form of Hogwarts professors, a Pocket Sneakoscope and – to the amusement of his classmates – a tiny Harry Potter figure.

Mini-Harry looked up at the original Harry, grinned widely, took off his glasses and started polishing them on his robes. Ron guffawed and held up a tiny wand. "Look at this! It even has it's own Firebolt." He handed the wand to the Mini-Harry and it promptly shot a Pimple spell at Lavender, making her shriek in horror at the sparse blemishes that had begun to pop up on her nose. Ron quickly pocketed the Harry figurine and tried to look innocent.

Harry laughed at this and offered Hermione the bonnet, which she grudgingly placed on her head. She looked over at Ron, who was now tickling the Mini-Harry and whispered "You've really gone and gotten yourself famous, haven't you?" Harry swallowed a mouthful of chicken and replied "I didn't even do anything, you know." Hermione rolled her eyes and started opening the Russian dolls. "Harry, everyone seems to think You-Know-Who disappeared because of you. Oh look!" The Russian dolls were quite interesting. The biggest one was Professor Dumbledore, complete with spectacles and brilliant blue eyes. Inside the Dumbledore doll was Professor McGonagall. "Amazing how even her doll seems to be stern enough to scare you into doing your homework." Ron whispered. Next was Professor Snape, then Professor Binns, Professor Trelawney, Professor Sinistra, the tiny Professor Flitwick, up to Professor Albot, the half-dwarf teaching Care of Magical Creatures.

Harry touched the Professor Albot doll and said quietly "Shame Hagrid had to leave for France." Ron clapped him on the back. "Ah, who knows? Maybe by now, little Hagrid/Madame Maxine babies are using the Eiffel Tower as a jungle gym." Hermione smiled. "But Harry, why does everyone seem to think you were the one who made You-Know-Who disappear?" Harry pushed his glasses up. "Dunno. Probably because I'm the most likely person to pin it on."

The Mini-Harry stuck its head out of Ron's pocket and yelled in a small voice _"Stupefy!"_ and aimed it's wand at Ron's pinky. "Hey!" Ron bellowed, tugging at his little finger. "I can't move it anymore!" The Mini-Harry jumped onto its broomstick and zipped away, speeding in between the surprised Tables. It zoomed past Berna Guerrero, who laughed and pointed, past Millicent Bulstrode, who grunted and swung a heavy arm at it, but missed, past Professor Snape, who looked extremely caustic and right under Crabbe's nose, who snorted and blundered his elbow into Draco's mashed potatoes. All of a sudden, an elegant hand gracefully shot up and caught the tiny Harry.

"Aha… very nice Firebolt you have there, Potter." drawled Draco Malfoy. Over at the Gryffindor table, Ron looked irritated that his toy had been confiscated by the Head Boy, Harry merely looked annoyed, and Hermione was suppressing giggles at the sight of the three boys.

Dumbledore stood up a few moments later. As usual, the mere sight of the Headmaster stilled the room. "As you all might already know, there is plenty cause for celebration tonight. First of all, Voldemort – " at this, a few people gave out collective gasps. "– has not been sighted for three years. We hope, with all our hearts, that he has retired from tormenting the magical and Muggle worlds." A few people looked over at Harry, who looked pointedly back. "Secondly, we are here to recognize the graduation of the eight thousandth, four hundredth and fifty second batch from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Plenty of thunderous applause greeted this. "In this batch, I have seen courage far beyond most, intelligence enough to be most proud of, loyalty and diligence to pave the way for a great future, and ambition that will ensure power on the side of Good. I have also seen a few things which have amused me greatly, such as that Chocolate Card Collecting Club that ended in a tussle over the Agrippa card." Ron turned red at this. He had organized the club back in sixth year, and he had jumped on an impudent seventh year who wouldn't give up his Agrippa card. 

Dumbledore continued "This batch holds promise of great wizards and witches, all fit to be great leaders… not to mention great eaters." he smiled. "The third cause of celebration is simply because it is a wonderful evening and there has been constant sunny weather all throughout. Plus, the house-elves are grand chefs, and now, I urge you all to continue partaking of their wonderful concoctions! Thank you!" With that, Dumbledore sat down and asked Professor Snape to pass the cream puffs.

Draco watched the Gryffindors chatter and cheer among themselves, a boiling, unnamed emotion rising up in him. He picked out Hermione's face among the crowd, smiling as well, but she kept looking around hopefully, as if anticipating a surprise. Finally, Draco stood up and walked across the Great Hall towards the other Table. As he approached, several Gryffindors looked up at him with something close to dislike. He walked over to where Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting with Seamus, Dean, Parvati, Lavender and Ginny. Hermione eyed him at once, and he winked cryptically at her before…

"Hello, little people." he drawled coldly. Harry looked up, an expression of mild distaste on his face. "What do you want, Malfoy? Here to show off the shiny Head Boy badge for the last time?" Ron frowned. "I highly suggest, Malfoy, that instead of over-polishing that thing, you just give it a good hard shove up your –" "Weasley… careful, careful… Wouldn't want points taken off Gryffindor for foul language, would you? Its never too late to do that, the House Cup will be awarded at the Ball." Ron casually replied "It's worth a hundred points from Gryffindor any day just to see your smirking, ugly kisser rubbed in the dirt, Malfoy." _"Ron!"_ said Hermione, looking from Ron to Draco reproachfully. 

Draco looked at her and grinned. "Oh, Potter, Weasley, I would have expected more from you. The Sorting Hat was quite right in not putting you in Hufflepuff. Aren't they _loyal_ in Hufflepuff? Don't they… _remember their friends' birthdays?"_ he continued, lowering his voice down dangerously. Then he strode back to the Slytherin table, his black robes billowing out behind him , giving him the elegant air of a true Malfoy.

Ron stared blankly after him. "Huh? I'm pretty glad I'm not in Hufflepuff-" Dean Thomas, who was taking Hannah Abbott to the Ball, glared at him, and Ron added hastily "But they're a great house… it's just that I love it here in Gryffindor so much. And what the hell is that arsehole talking about and he kept dropping dark hints…" Ron trailed off and looked at Hermione, who was turning a bit pink. Harry had stopped eating and was staring at her with the same puzzled expression. Then…

Ron stood up and announced in a loud voice to the rest of the Gryffindor table: "Ehem! Join me and raise your glasses in a little toast to the finest example of Gryffindor bravery sitting at this table. It was Hermione Granger's seventeenth birthday a few days ago, and I'd like to wish her a very happy birthday!"

Ron plopped back down and joined in a raucous singing of "Happy Birthday" for Hermione, who was really blushing by that time. Harry, who was sitting beside her, gave her a small, friendly hug, and whispered in her ear "I'm really sorry we forgot your birthday. Kiss and make up?" He grinned.

Hermione looked at him for a little while then leaned forward for an honest, friendly kiss. When she pulled away from Harry, she realized that the whole table was watching them, and they now broke into cheers of laughter. She grinned up at Harry, who was turning as red as she was, and sought out Draco among the sullen-looking Slytherins.

When she found him, he was leaning back in his chair, a small smile upon his delicate lips. She mouthed the silent words _"Thank you." _And he simply winked back.

As Hermione left the Great Hall with the throng hours later, full of food and feeling rather soporific, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She turned around and saw Berna Guerrero, smiling shyly. "Um… Hermione? I just wanted to wish you a very happy birthday." Hermione smiled back, glad that the girl wasn't bitter towards her. "Thanks, Berna." Then as Berna turned around, Hermione thought a bit and called out. 

"Oh Berna?" 

"Yes?"

"Have fun at the Ball!"

Berna blushed. "Thanks."

Hermione found her way to the Fat Lady and recited the password to the common room. _"Bravado." _The door swung open and Hermione climbed in, greeted by cheers. _"I don't think I'll be going to bed very soon." _she thought, as Parvati swooped down on her and gave her a tight hug.

Meanwhile, Harry had left the Great Hall much later than he wanted to. Colin Creevey, who was assigned to take pictures for the yearbook, wanted some shots. 

"That's nice, Harry." 

"One more, Harry…"

"Smile, Harry!"

Finally, Harry dragged himself away and began to climb the staircase. When he reached the top, someone stepped out of the darkness. "Potter." 

It was Draco, silvery-gray eyes gleaming. "What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry watched him coolly. Draco came forward and held up the Mini-Harry, who was struggling to get out of Draco's loose fist. "I believe this is yours?" Harry pocketed the figurine and looked back at Draco, who had now folded his arms, watching him with taunting amusement. "Potter… *tsk tsk* How could you forget her birthday?" Draco's tone was mocking, but with considerably less ice than before. Harry looked away, out the window, where the cold stars were still glittering. "I was… caught up in my… business." he said, slowly. Draco stepped closer. "Potter, you'd better not hurt her." 

Suddenly Harry's ire flared up. "Me? Hurt her?! Of all the people here, I'd be the last one to harm Hermione! You'd be the first name on the list!" Draco shook his head leisurely. "Wrong there, Potter."

Harry was still irked. "You're just leading her on, aren't you?! You're just there for the… for the… _sex!" _He spat. Draco was fully taken aback. "Potter, you stupid git. Listen! I'm not the carnal arsehole you think I am. Malfoys like pleasure, but I happen to put love over lust. So don't meddle with us, Potter, because Hermione's in safe hands."

Two red spots appeared on Harry's cheeks. "I still don't trust you, Malfoy. The only reason I'm putting up with you is because Hermione happens to love you very much, and the last thing I'm going to do is break her heart by beating the daylights out of her boyfriend who happens to be nothing more that some twat like you-." Draco moved back. "I'm not going to hurt her, because I don't hurt anyone I care for. So I suggest you meander up to your room and start reading the book entitled _'How To Stop Being Such a Stupid Biased Slimy Bigheaded Jerk' _It'll probably teach you a few things… " Draco turned around and stared to climb down the staircase. Harry couldn't restrain himself, and he called out. "I don't think I have that book. You've probably read it already, so can I borrow yours?" Draco raised his voice as he walked away. "Ask Weasley. He's been living on his big brother's copy ever since he could read!"

And in spite of himself, Harry chuckled.

The common room was still noisy when he got back, the Gryffindors having thrown their own feast. Harry wandered over to where Ron was sitting with Hermione, amidst a good-sized pile of presents. Hermione was grinning at what Ron sarcastically called the 'resourcefulness' of her fellow Gryffindors. Apparently, the ones who felt guilty about forgetting her birthday had instantly transfigured ordinary items into birthday presents. Hermione giggled as she held up a bright neon pink butterfly hair ornament Parvati had given her. "Look, it's still flapping it's wings." Harry laughed, reached over, took the butterfly from her and fastened it onto a curl hanging over Hermione's face. "Nice touch, then." Ron grinned. Then Hermione chortled good-naturedly and showed them Neville's gift. It was probably supposed to be a tea set, with a tortoise for the teapot, and something else for the cups. Ron picked up one of the white cups and made a face. "Hermione, you aren't really going to drink out of this, are you?! The handle still looks like some kind of tail!" Harry pointed to another cup. "And this one's still furry." _"Ew."_ they said collectively. Hermione giggled again. "Over there, Seamus is looking for his pet mice."

"Has anyone seen them? There's five of them, and… damn! They were here before dinner…" called Seamus, scratching his sandy-brown head. Ron counted the cups. "Five." he said, fighting to keep a straight face. They watched as Neville approached Seamus cautiously and explained something, making sure to keep his voice down so Hermione wouldn't hear. Harry, Ron and Hermione broke out into laughter.

The night was surely one to remember, with Fred and George dropping by to set off some of their own fireworks, and to show off some of the latest innovations for the future Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, which Fred and George planned to set up once they turned twenty-one, and moved away from the eagle eye of Mrs. Weasley. George nudged Harry and whispered "This'll drive Filch crazy. Slip it out on the last day, stand back and watch his eyes pop out!" George handed Harry a packet of 'Unmoppable Mud! Sure to keep you on your hands and knees trying to wipe it away for the next three weeks!' Harry chuckled and watched as Fred lit a firework that he didn't recognize. "What's that?" Harry pointed to the firework, which had _'June 21' _emblazoned on the front. George grinned, and his freckles seemed to redden. "Made it ourselves. You just watch Hermione's face when she sees this!" Fred stuffed his fingers in his ears as the firework shot up to the ceiling. Everyone cringed, expecting a huge hole in the Gryffindor tower, but right before it reached the top, it shattered into a thousand brilliant sparks, forming in red and gold glitters the words _'Happy Birthday Bookworm!' _Hermione laughed out loud and thanked the twins profusely, kissing them on the cheek. Fred and George blushed identical shades of red and slunk off, muttering something about getting more food.

It was well past one in the morning when the half-birthday, half-grad party ended, with people yawning and shaking their heads. Ron trundled up the staircase, giving Parvati a _very_ passionate goodnight. Finally, it was only Harry and Hermione left in the room. Hermione got up and cast a Floating Charm on her gifts, making them trail behind her. "I'm too tired to carry them all up." she sheepishly explained to Harry, who was reclining on his favorite chair. He smiled and waved to her.

Hermione had only taken the first step up the staircase when she heard Harry call her. "Hermione, wait." She turned around. "Yes?"

Suddenly Harry had stood up, crossed the room quickly and pulled her into a warm hug. 

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. Harry's arms around her… holding her so close, like he never wanted to let go, his warmth, his scent, his touch. She could feel his heart beating beneath her cheek, like a steady drumbeat, reassuring her. "Harry…" she began, unsure of what to say. "Happy birthday, you know-it-all." he whispered into her hair, in his laughing tone of voice. Hermione smiled, and closed her eyes, leaning into the hug, which was getting farther and farther from friendly.

Then she felt a touch of cold silver against her cheek. _"My earrings."_ she realized. Then Draco's face flashed in front of her, warm, open, trusting… and she broke away from Harry. "Harry… goodnight." she said, breathless. And she practically ran all the way up to her dormitory, her makeshift gifts trailing behind her. 

Harry stood there for what seemed an eternity, his face thrown into shadow, giving no clue of what he really feeling inside.


	2. Seven O'Clock May Come On Time

Author's Note:

Dedicated to Raf, for being the inspiration for the moonlit dance and my fluff-withdrawal-bank, to Paola for being my Rock of Gibraltar, and to Louie for keeping my laughter alive through days of darkness. Also to my beta, Berna, for going through tons of floppy disks, Latin translations, quote books, and re-reading the four HP books all for litl ol' me, and to Catherine, who never fails to inspire a wild story in me on those long, tiresome bus rides. I'd like to apologize to CharmedHPfanatic for not giving out a disclaimer. I owe her almost everything in this fic… title, translations, quotes and quimbles… argh… SORRY!!! 

__

AN: IMPORTANT! I said this was supposed to be 11 years after, right? well, the few beginning chapters are like prologues, they're just the beginning. The juice comes in later! Tata!

Chapter Two: Seven O'clock Comes On Time

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*Running around

Through all the ups and downs

Still I believe

Yes, I believe

That you love me

Just the way I love you*

- Original Poetry, by Anonymous

***June 29, 2001***

Hogwarts was a complete flurry of activity. The Great Hall had been closed for decoration, and anyone trying to get to their dormitories or even into the castle would have to go through secret passages which they were directed to by the prefects. Neville had a horrible time that day, when he tried to get to the Gryffindor common room, he unknowingly blundered into the dusty cabinet right under Snape's desk.

The girls were in a frenzied state of hysteria, comparing notes on what to wear, how to accessorize, what to do what their hair…Lavender was seen begging Professor Sprout for some bubotuber pus to get rid of the pimples Mini-Harry had given her. Even the boys were pretty goosey, with Ron worrying about his new dress robes, Harry trying to flatten his hair, Neville trying to transfigure some Fwooper quills into roses for Nadine. The funny thing was, only the Head Boy and Girl kept their heads, Draco calmly helping a lost first-year Hufflepuff get back to her common room, and Hermione transfiguring various items into jewelry and blossoms for her friends. Once, they met in the crowded corridor leading to the Astronomy Tower, where secret couples arranged to meet. They said nothing to each other, still pretending to be enemies, but as Draco brushed past her, she felt a dry parchment between her fingers. She quickly slipped behind the door to the staircase leading up to the Tower and unfolded the parchment. Written in Draco's mellow handwriting was _'Still beautiful, my Hermione.' _Hermione sighed and tucked the note into her robes.

She was just about to leave when all of a sudden, she heard voices… all too familiar voices. She shrank back behind the door as they came closer.

"Well, you should be happy. You've got the prettiest girl in sixth year." came a voice she recognized as Seamus'. 

"Hey! What about my sister?!" Indignant… that was Ron.

"Ginny's not pretty, she's beautiful." Seamus again.

"I may have got the prettiest girl in sixth year, but I don't even like her… that much…" Hermione's heart jumped into her throat. _"Harry! How could you?!"_

"So what if you don't like her? I'm taking Lavender, and she isn't exactly my dream girl, you know." Hermione raised her eyebrows, storing up that little piece of gossip.

"Hehe. Berna's not exactly all peaches and cream, you know." Harry speaking.

Hermione couldn't take it anymore. She stepped around the door and faced the three boys, raising her finger threateningly and opening her mouth as if to say something severe. But before she could get the sentence out of her brain and past her lips, Harry whirled around to face her.

"You, Hermione." He snapped. "Don't tell me you're taking _your_ dream guy, 'coz I'm wishing, hope against hope, that you and Malfoy would be so difficult together that you wouldn't be able to stand three minutes of each other's time." 

Hermione's mouth dropped open. Seamus' did too. _"Malfoy? And Hermione?! Whoa!!!" _

Hermione turned to him. "Don't… even… think about opening that mouth of yours, Seamus Andrew Finnegan, or a certain Ms. Brown might suddenly seal it closed for you with a handy Stapling Spell." Seamus promptly shut up. Lavender Brown was known for her vengeance against bothersome boyfriends. Hermione raised a composed eyebrow at Harry, who looked rather pleased with himself, and flounced away.

She was stalking down the third floor corridor a while later when she was suddenly halted in front of a large wooden door. Hermione looked at the door, and it brought to her a raging freshet of memories. 

_Harry, as a naïve first-year, bravely throwing the Invisibility Cloak around himself just to save the Sorcerer's Stone. Herself, throwing her arms around Harry's neck, holding him tight, thinking that she would never see him again. _"I really didn't know Harry Potter that well, back then , did I?" she chuckled, running her hands gently around the door's rough surface. _Harry, innocent and true. The younger Harry, the one whose heart was pure and simple, the one could smile at her openly, untainted by jealousy. The Harry she trusted in, the one in whom she believed in. The one who could take Voldemort down single-handedly, the one who could shield her from all pain, the one who could… _Hermione's charming smile disappeared, replaced by a look of worry. _The one who could easily break her heart._

Where did we go wrong?

"Hermione? Is that you? Hey, I have to talk to you!" Hermione whirled around at the tone of Ginny's voice. She sounded worried. "Gin, what is it? Come on, let's sit in the library."

Surrounded by the dusty books Hermione called her friends, Ginny looked up at her with eyes full of anxiety. "It's Berna." she whispered. Hermione leaned forward. "What's wrong with Berna?" Ginny raised her shoulders in a sign of distrust. "She doesn't seem – _right _– for Harry." Hermione cocked an inquisitive eyebrow. "How?"

Ginny looked around and bent forward, lowering her voice. "She's not perfect. She's the kind of girl who seems really shy and quiet at first – " Hermione nodded at that. " – but when she gets comfortable with you, she gets all _high and mighty._ I saw her bossing around her little sister this morning. And Berna Guerrero's that kind of prejudiced girl who can carry a grudge until Hogwarts is converted into a Dark Arts school." 

Hermione laughed. "Gin, do you still _like _Harry?" Ginny shook her head seriously, her scarlet waves of hair bouncing in her ponytail, which was charmed with a Tightening Trick. "No. I love him like a brother…but all I wanted to say was… oh Hermione! If only you knew about her history!"

Hermione crinkled up her brow. "What do you mean, Ginny?"

Ginny looked right at Hermione, brown eyes meeting blue. _"Berna's not perfect._" she whispered. Then she stood up curtly and left the library with quick, hurried steps.

Hermione stared after her. "Ginny… no one is."

Hermione would have liked to find out if what Ginny said was true, but the flurry of getting ready for the Ball just whisked her away. She had to charm her gown to stay stain and wrinkle-free the whole night, she had to transfigure more items for herself and her friends, (just _how much _jewelry does one girl need?!) and she still had to think of a better hairstyle. "The one in the robe shop just won't do!" she hissed to herself, as she dashed past several Slytherin first-years on her way to the prefect's bathroom. 

However, one of them called out to her. "Head Girl!"

She turned around, hair flying, robes half-off. The girl who had yelled at her calmly stepped forward and raised her chin. She was very small, even for a first-year, and her startling turquoise eyes had a shrewd, calculating glimmer in them. Her short brown hair was neatly combed back, and the way she sauntered toward Hermione vaguely reminded the distracted Head Girl of the younger, arrogant Draco. Yet she reminded Hermione of someone else… someone she had seen before.

"Head Girl… Name?" the girl looked up at her. Hermione smiled down at her and said "Hermione Granger. And you are?" The first-year ignored her question and asked instead. "Has Berna Guerrero earned any points lately for Ravenclaw?" Hermione thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No… not that I know of." The girl nodded quickly. "Thank you, Head Girl." and she walked away, followed by the rest of her Slytherin classmates.

Hermione watched the girl as she walked slowly down the corridor and disappeared from view. Then Hermione shook her head, curls flying. "I know who she looks like! She looks like Berna Guerrero!"

But Hermione had too much on her mind to think about the strange little girl. The Ball drew closer, and the students became more harried, all their excitement building up into what was going to be the last night of their schooling in Hogwarts. The next day, the Hogwarts Express would take them all back to Platform 9 ¾ and a brand-new life was right ahead of them. 

That night, with her beautiful dress robes hidden in a corner of her closet with the anti-wrinkling and staining charms reinforced, the list of transfigurations for tomorrow on her desk, herself safely tucked in between the red-and-gold sheets, with a Sleeping Draught in a mug beside her bed, Hermione allowed herself to let scenes from the last few weeks to run through her sleepy mind. The thoughts mingled and intertwined in places. creating an impossibly tangled map, the map of her confusing love life.

__

Harry and his painfully honest confession in Hogsmeade. Harry's pained smile. Harry and Berna. Berna, smiling shyly in the Great Hall, surrounded by students, yet standing out because of her beauty and her charm. Ginny's revelations about Berna. Ginny and the way Ron protectively put his arm around her everytime Blaise passed them in the corridors. Ron and his arm around another girl… Parvati Patil. Blaise Zabini with that smile on his face, watching Ginny fondly. That smile… on another's face… another Slytherin… Draco. Her _Draco._

Hermione drifted off to sleep after sipping the Sleeping Draught, thoughts of that certain, strange, elegant Malfoy coming alive in her dreams.

***June 30, 2001***

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*That day, that day / what a mess, what a marvel

We're all the same / and no one thinks so

And it's okay / And I'm small

And I'm divine / And it's beautiful

And it's coming / But it's already here

And it's absolutely perfect*

- That Day, by Natalie Imbruglia

The Big Day. That day when the students will learn the meaning of truth and love. The day when hearts would be united, and when hearts would be broken. The day when tears would flow freely, whether for pain, joy or farewell, I cannot say. The day when the children leave Hogwarts, and finally enter the world of magic with no guidance or rigid rules. 

The day when they graduate.

Harry was keeping calm. _"Phew… okay, breathe deeply. Ah, now… where did I put that damn corsage?!" _He twisted a lock of his uncombed hair between his fingertips, thinking deeply. Then he dashed across the room. _"Aha."_

Ron was keeping calm. But he was definitely louder about it than Harry was. "Damn those stupid robes! Where in Merlin's beard did I put them?! Argh! Hey Neville, have you seen my dress robes, you know the ones with…" he yelled early in the morning, waking the boys who were still dozing. He dashed across the room, tossing articles of clothing from side to side. _"Where are they?!"_

Hermione was keeping calm. "Hmm… Parvati, do you want help with that hairdo? Lavender, the incantation is _Apelido Resterde. _Hey, um… Nadine, do you have jewelry already? No? Here, this will last only one night, and then it'll turn back into ashes… get me some of the cold ashes."

Berna was keeping calm. _"Omigod, do you think he'll like this? Does brown hair go with blue robes? Okay… now where did I put my wand? Aha, here it is…"_

Parvati was keeping calm. "There you go Lavender! How's that?" _"AUGH!!!!" _"Lavender! Your hair's not _that _bad, is it?"

Draco was keeping calm. _"Okay, let's see, gloves? No. Bowtie? No! My old trailing, swooping kind of robes? NO! Damn, where is that piece of wood that dare call itself my wand?"_

They were all keeping calm. So in other words, the dormitories were in chaos.

__

*That day, that day

What a mess, what a marvel*

Seven o'clock came too soon for those who were nervous about their dates, and it came too late for those who were excited about theirs. 

Yet seven o'clock came right on time for one happy couple.

Hermione stood in front of the secret door leading out of her private quarters, smoothed her gown down once more, took one deep breath, and whispered the password. The stone slid open, admitting a breath of fresh air, pale candlelight, and one handsome young man.

Draco walked in as soon as the door opened. He looked around for some sign of Hermione, and all of a sudden, she was there, blushing shyly. Draco glanced once at her, and all of his grace and poise seemed to melt away, leaving him suddenly shy, not a high and mighty Draco Malfoy anymore… just one ordinary boy seeing his date in her prom dress for the first time.

Hermione was completely taken aback. _"Boy… he really outdid himself this time, didn't he?" _She knew Draco had a liking for black robes, and she also knew that he was probably going to be the most well-dressed guy at the Ball… but nothing Hermione had ever memorized, read about or knew about this certain flame could prepare her for this. 

Draco was elegantly dressed in excellently-cut robes, made out of some kind of material that was light and smooth to the touch, and with a weak Warming Spell, was perfect for the weather. He was dressed completely in black, of course, and it set off his smooth, unmarred skin and silver blond hair. A silver bracelet glimmered faintly on his wrist, his light hair gently swept back from his aristocratic face… Hermione found herself at a loss for words.

Draco wasn't being very verbose either, and for him, that was the end of the world. He simply stared at Hermione, unaware of manners, or of the Ball itself… unaware of everything except that there was one beautiful young woman right in front of him… and he was madly in love with her.

_"The robes are in very good taste. Must remember to ask where she got them…" _he thought weakly. The dress robes _were _in very good taste, Hermione having hand-picked them herself. The simply-cut, sleeveless robes were a pale blue, shot through with silver thread. Her hair was swept up into an exquisite updo that was probably the work of a very intricate charm. One silver chain glittered at her throat, the pendant being in the shape of a tiny cat with shining blue eyes. _"Potter's birthday present for her. I guessed so… Weasley would have had to sell _himself _to buy something like that… and considering his current appearance… why, he might not even fetch that high a price." _Draco shook himself gently, reminding himself that there was a Ball to attend, and people to shock. He smiled at Hermione, slowly getting his charm and poise back.

At that time, Harry was meeting Berna right outside the Great Hall. He kept nervously touching his hair and asking Ron "Is it still flat?" Ron, who had Parvati hanging on to his arm, always gave the same answer… nod, nod, grin, grin. 

"Harry? Harry!" Harry looked up at once at the familiar voice. Berna was standing before him beaming proudly, and wearing pretty light purple robes. Harry grinned and thrust the corsage of orchids into her cleanly-manicured hands. Berna smiled, pinned it on, and walked into the Great Hall, grasping Harry by the arm. Harry smiled weakly and beckoned to Ron to follow.

"You look beautiful, Hermione. Lovely robes, lovely hair, lovely face… my oh my… I'm going to be the luckiest guy in the Ball." Draco winked at her and held out a simplex box.

Hermione seemed to snap out of a trance as well, and she took the box, saying "I must be the luckiest girl… because I _doubt_ if anyone's got a date as charming as I've got standing right next to me right now…" Draco grinned at the flattering remark. "Oh come one, open the box." Hermione lifted off the lid and her brown eyes widened appreciatively. "Draco! It's beautiful!"

A lavish bouquet of roses lay nestled in the softly glowing fern leaves in the nondescript box. These were no ordinary roses, either. There were some sable roses, with silver edges, strongly reminding Hermione of Draco's own outfit. There were the standard red roses, yet in theses enchanted flowers, the red was so very intense, so profound that one never tired of looking at them. There were three blue roses, close to the shade of her own dress robes, and they were also edged with frosted silver. Finally, there was one silver rose, and wound about it in green ribbon, was the words: _Amor Omnia Vincit._

She looked up at Draco, her eyes shining. "Some corsage, darling." Draco grinned back down at her. ""Glad you like them. Now, my ladyship, take my arm, and let us sweep downstairs to the ballroom, where our guests are awaiting us with bated breath." Hermione laughed and took his black-clad arm.

"So, Draco…" she spoke as they walked down the deserted corridors, clad in their finest robes. "Is our relationship still a secret?" 

"Only until the second we step inside the Great Hall!"

Draco was correct. Oh, he was _so _correct. Draco had their entrance perfectly timed. They were early enough as not to miss out on anything important, and they were late enough to be noticed. Hermione smiled bravely as she stepped into the Great Hall, but the silence that fell over the room was enough to wipe even the evil smirk off the old Draco's face. But he wasn't smirking. He was smiling, and even waving a bit to his shocked Slytherins. As they strolled towards an empty table, Draco whispered to Hermione out of the corner of his mouth "I just love attention. Especially the kind you get when you get the prettiest girl in the whole year for your Ball." Hermione whispered back. "I'm getting the other kind of attention. If looks could kill, Pansy Parkinson would be convicted of the murder of Hermione Granger right now!" Draco laughed gently and sat down at the table, closely followed by Hermione. It was only then when they realized how magnificent their surroundings were.

Draco gazed around and whistled softly. "I'm impressed." He spoke softly as well. "Even the Manor isn't usually this beautiful… if we even put up décor at all." Hermione's eyes roved around the Hall, taking in every little detail. The Tables were gone, and replaced with a lot of smaller tables, all lit with floating candles. The Hall seemed divided into four, with each section draped with the corresponding Houses' colors. She and Draco had seated themselves on one of the smaller tables that weren't confined to any certain House, which was definitely a wise choice. The walls were covered in a shimmering iridescent frost, and the floor was highly polished. Hermione chuckled. "Hmm… Filch must have stayed up since May to do this!" Several twisted ribbons swirled around the Hall, curling and spiraling into graceful patterns. Fairy lights flitted around as well, alighting on the ribbons, flying around, scattering opalescent luminescence on the faces of the people sitting at the prettily draped tables. 

Draco tapped Hermione on the arm and gestured towards Ron and Parvati, who were making their way over to them. Hermione smiled and waved them over.

"Hey Hermione! You look absolutely stunning!" Parvati waved back at her, seating herself beside Ron. "You don't look so bad yourself!" Hermione replied, taking in Parvati's expensive dress robes which were roughly the same color as Berna's, but were intensified to an astonishing degree. "Draco, I believe every girl will be attempting to hit Hermione with the Killing Curse after tonight." Parvati winked at Draco. Draco returned the wink and replied. "I could say the same for Ron." Ron looked up immediately at the sound of his voice. "What do you want, Malfoy?" Draco coolly waved an insouciant hand in his direction. "Come off it, _Ron. _For one night, you can stop calling me by my last name, since it's been seven years, and it is getting quite ho-hum." Hermione and Parvati snickered at the look on Ron's face. 

"'evening, Hermione, Draco." Harry seated himself on Hermione's other side. Berna sat down immediately on Harry's _other _side. Ron raised a red eyebrow at Harry. "Aha, so he's Draco to you, too, eh?" Harry shrugged, looking extremely unconventional in his black dress robes and tamed hair. "Hermione said she'd treat us out in the Three Broomsticks for a grad party if we called him Draco and was completely civil to him for one night." Draco and Ron immediately turned to Hermion, who blushed pink. "Well…" 

As Ron, Harry and Hermione "talked it over" and Parvati listened, Draco amused himself by changing the colors of the roses in the table centerpiece. When he had succeeded in turning them a sooty black, he heard a derisive sniff beside him. He turned around and found himself looking right into Berna Guerrero's deep blue eyes.

"So-" Draco said, as smoke eyes met sky eyes, "-you must be Harry's lovely date. Berna Guerrero, I presume?" Berna looked at him coldly for a long while, then turned to Parvati. "Good evening Parvati, dear." Parvati smiled at her, then Berna repeated the same courteous greeting to Hermione, who returned it with a polite smile. Then Berna glanced at Draco, then crossed her arms and looked up at the starry ceiling, as if daring him to say something about his missing greeting. 

But Draco was unperturbed. "Ahem, Berna – if that is your name – you must be related to Catherine Guerrero?" Berna whipped her head up, her low, ornamented ponytail flipping over. "What about Catherine?" She spoke slowly, in a voice that may have been laced with ice.

Draco shrugged vaguely, while behind him, the four Gryffindors were eagerly discussing their future plans. ("I might join the Chudley Cannons! I heard they're looking for new recruits!" – that was Ron.) "Well, you look so much like Catherine… are you sisters?" 

Berne glanced up at the ceiling again, her blue eyes cold. "Yes." And Hermione chose that moment to put her two cents in. "Catherine stopped me in the corridor yesterday. Isn't she in Slytherin?" Berna stiffened. Draco nodded at her. "Yes, first year. Very interesting little girl. Full of stories… sufficiently enough stories to keep her and her friends noisy all through class." Berna looked away. "I don't mean to sound biased, Malfoy, but I would rather avoid all things Slytherin." As if to prove her point, she angrily flicked her wand against a green ribbon that had twirled itself around their candle, sending it flying across the room. Draco merely nodded. Yet he whispered to himself as he turned the fragile red rose petals into a slight green and silver. _"Ad hominem."_

The students filling the Great Hall fell into a respectable silence as the Headmaster stood up from the purple-draped table where the rest of the teachers were sitting. Dumbledore broke out into a smile at the sight of them. "Wonderful… wonderful to have you all here for the Ball of Goodbyes. There are several reasons for cause of celebration tonight, and I shall enumerate them all now, so you can have an exceedingly amount of delight and commotion right here in the Great Hall without any guilt." He lifted a long-fingered hand in the air and touched one of them with his wand. "One, the Dark Lord, Voldemort, has disappeared for good, I believe, as there has been no sighting of him or his minions for the last two years." A general burst of applause. "Two, and this is the main reason you are all crammed into tight and uncomfortable dress robes." Dumbledore's cobalt eyes twinkled in the direction of Pansy Parkinson, who was tugging at the waist of her rococo dress robes. Hermione heard Draco whisper covertly to Harry "Too many pumpkin pasties, I say."

Dumbledore touched his second finger. "Tonight may very well be the last night that you will be entrapped within the stones of Hogwarts, bound by their rules, and required to attend their classes. Tonight, you shall graduate." A round of cheers rattled the spectacles on Dumbledore's nose. He raised his hand for silence and touched the third finger. "Ahem… we all know about bands that claim to be Muggles, but are really wizarding bands in disguise. As music is a magic beyond than all we do here, they are perfectly capable of rising to extreme popularity here and in the Muggle world, and right now, the third reason for celebration tonight, I'd like to present to you…_the Corrs!"_

More cheers and clapping, in which Hermione, Harry, Berna and Ron eagerly joined in. Harry had heard their songs from the wizard CDs Hermione had sent him through fragile Owl post (Harry had made them work through the incantation Hermione had enclosed on scraps of parchement.), Parvati, Berna and Ron had heard the Corrs on wizarding radio, but Draco simply looked curious.

The silky black curtain behind the teachers table rose toward the starry ceiling, disappearing as it went up, revealing a raised platform and four figures. 

Draco cocked an eyebrow at Hermione. "Care to explain, m'dear?" Hermione discreetly pointed towards a very pretty young woman clad in pure black robes. "They're Irish siblings. Andrea, the lead vocalist, is the youngest, and she also plays the tin whistle." 

"Uh-huh."

"Caroline, the one in reddish-brown robes, one the drums."

"Uh-huh."

"Sharon, the one in deep purple robes, violinist."

"Uh-huh."

"Jim, the guy in black pants with the gray robe over them, with the keyboard and guitar at the same time."

"I see. Interesting."

Hermione straightened up when the Corrs, amid much applause and cheering, began to play a sweet, bouncy song. Draco nodded appreciatively as Andrea's mellifluous voice, with the effect of a _Sonorus _charm, began to float through the magnificent chamber. 

__

*I haven't slept that all in days

It's been so long since we have talked

And I have been here many times

yeah…

I just don't know what I'm doing wrong*

"Hmm… and to think I was missing this." Draco watched as the teachers left the Hall, leaving the students to their last night in Hogwarts. Hermione looked up at him expectantly. "Draco, everyone's dancing now." Draco looked out over the dance floor. "I see. Hey, isn't that Teresa dancing with Ernie? She's the Ravenclaw who hangs around Berna in the halls." Hermione nodded, a tad impatiently. "*ahem!* Aren't you going to ask me to dance?" Draco covered her hand with his, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. "Darling, the time isn't right yet." 

Hermione leaned back in her chair, satisfied for the moment, and watched the couples twirl lightheartedly around the smooth floor. Parvati was laughing as Ron whispered something in her ear, as they watched Pansy being led clumsily onto the floor by Crabbe. Berna and Harry were the center of attention, with Berna looking very pleased with herself, and Harry smiling at various people he passed. Ginny was in Blaise's arms, looking very happy. Neville was dancing with Nadine, who was wearing a single bright-yellow rose which seemed to drip ink. 

__

*What can I do to make you love me?

What can I do to make you care?

What can I say to make you feel this?

What can I do to get you there?*

Lavender pranced past Draco and Hermione's table, trailed by Seamus. Hermione had time to give him a quick 'Hi' before Lavender took him away again. "Great band, the Corrs!" he yelled back. Hermione remembered Seamus' Irish parentage. _"Of course he'd be proud. Who wouldn't be glad if their nationality and ancestry was displayed?" _ Then her eye fell upon Draco, who was listening eagerly to the harmony of the magically tuned instruments. _"Oh."_

*There's only so much I can take

And I just got to let it go

And who knows I might feel better

If I don't try and I don't hope

What can I do to make you love me?

What can I do to make you care?

What can I say to make you feel this?

What can I do to get you there?*

"Berna looks pretty comfortable with Harry over there, doesn't she?" Draco suddenly interrupted Hermione's train of thought. Hermione turned and watched the way Harry held Berna… which was much closer than anyone else on the floor was holding their partner. Hermione shrugged it off with a wave of her hand. "I personally think they look cute together." Draco watched the two as they glided across the floor, smiling and talking in hushed voices. "Maybe. Hermione, do you know what this common Latin expression means? _Ad hominem._" Hermione thought for a while, contemplating the absurd silver-and-green roses on the table. "That means… appealing to feelings or prejudices rather than intellect. What about it?" Draco nodded towards Berna, whose blue eyes were twinkling at whatever witty remarks Harry had made. "She was put in Ravenclaw. Ironic, eh?" 

But Hermione didn't get it. Irony or not, Berna and Harry still looked positively delightful together.

The first song ended, and Andrea spoke a thank-you out over the crowd. A few pairs separated and went off to look for new partners while the Corrs started tapping their instruments with their wands, tuning them up for the next song. 

When the first notes of the violin hit the cool air, Draco stood up and held out his hand to Hermione, smiling genially. "Care to dance, my princess in blue?" Hermione laughed and placed her hand in his, allowing him to boost her to her feet.

__

*You're only just a dreamboat / Sailing in my head

You swim my secret oceans of coral blue and red

Your smell is incense burning / Your touch is silken yet

It reaches through my skin / Moving from within

And it clutches at my breast*

Draco held Hermione's hand and placed his other on her waist. Hermione laid her palm softly on his shoulder and they began to move to the haunting music. "Can you feel it?" Hermione whispered to Draco. Draco smiled. "Yes, the warmth of your skin, the silken feel of your dress, the comforting grasp of your hand…" Hermione cut him off with a small chortle. "No, no… the _stares._" 

And it was true, for all around them, people were staring as the two most unlikely people to ever fall in love were dancing close together.

__

*But it's only when I sleep / See you in my dreams

You got me spinning round and round / Turning upside-down 

But I only hear you breathe / Somewhere in my sleep

Got me spinning round and round / Turning upside-down

But its only when I sleep*

"I'm glad I fell in love with you, Hermione." Draco moved a bit closer, then he furrowed his brow in exasperation. "Now, isn't that the stupidest thing you've ever heard?" Hermione replied in turn. "Don't worry, anything you say is a jewel in my opinion… damn, now _that _was stupid." They began to laugh, eliciting more gawkers. 

"We're pretty controversial, aren't we, darling?" Draco asked a while later. "Not as polemical as those two over there." Hermione grinned. Draco followed her gaze to Berna and Harry, who were dancing again, to the chagrin of many other females. "She happens to like controversy, so why bother? It's our dance now, and we get to shut off the whole world." Draco pulled her closer, taking in the music and the lilting voice of the one on stage. 

__

*And when I wake from slumber / Your shadow's disappear

Your breath is just a sea mist / Surrounding my body

I'm workin' through the daytime / But when it's time to rest

I'm lying in my bed / Listening to my breath

Falling from the edge*

Hermione took in the smooth swaying of their bodies, as if they were two beautifully made clocks, tuned in perfect harmony to one another. She could feel his heartbeat beneath those layers of expensive cloth, calling to her, staying true, as if to say _you can depend on me_. She sighed softly, then she felt, more than heard the gentle voice of Draco beside her ear. "It's true, you know. You haunt my dreams. You exist in my thoughts. I see you everywhere. And I love every moment of this obsession with you." 

__

*But it's only when I sleep / See you in my dreams, (dreams)

You got me spinning round and round / Turning upside-down

But I only hear you breathe / Somewhere in my sleep, (in my sleep)

Got me spinning round and round / Turning upside-down

But its only when I sleep / It's only when I sleep*

The pretty violinist began to sing as well, in accompaniment to her sister's melodious voice and to the sweet tone of her own violin.

*Up to the sky / Where angels fly

I'll never die / Hawaiian High

In bed I lie / No need to cry

My sleeping cry / Hawaiian High*

The song ended much too early for Draco and Hermione, who were dancing the closest in the whole Hall, to the amusement of Harry and the affliction of Ron. They made their way back to the table planning to sit this song out, but the musical instruments began to play a soft, sweet melody, and their was a bit of commotion as people got up the courage to ask their sweethearts to dance. Draco and Hermione were already seated and watching with amusement when someone appeared in front of them, shyly holding out his hand to Hermione.

"Hermione, would you like to dance?" Ron was standing there, looking a bit fidgety. Hermione turned to Draco. "Of course you don't mind! He's my best friend, after all." Draco smiled graciously at Ron and drew Hermione close. "Our kind of love goes beyond jealousy. Go on." He kissed Hermione briefly, then pulled away too quickly, letting her go off with Ron, a calm expression on his face.

__

*When your day is long / And the night

The night is yours alone / When you're sure you've had enough of this life

Well hang on

Don't let yourself go / Cause everybody cries

And everybody hurts / Sometimes

Sometimes everything is wrong / Now it's time to sing along

(When your day is night alone)

Hold on, hold on / (If you feel like letting go)

Hold on / If you think you've had too much of this life

Well hang on*

"Is he treating you okay?" Ron asked Hermione, as they moved to the slow dance of the voice. "He's wonderful, Ron. I hope you've accepted him by now." Hermione looked up at Ron, still the bossy old know-it-all. Ron smiled. "Oh, yes. I plan on treating him like a brother tonight. And for tonight, only." Hermione frowned up at him for a moment, then softened, reaching up to pat his scarlet hair. "Nice robes, Ron. They go very well with your hair. Who picked them?" Ron blushed. "Parvati insisted on coming with me to the robe shop. She refused to let me get those Chudley Cannon dress robes." 

__

*Cause everybody hurts

Take comfort in your friends

Everybody hurts

Don't throw your hand

Oh, no

Don't throw your hand

When you feel like you're alone

No, no, no, you're not alone*

"Great band, aren't they, the Corrs?" asked Ron, as they stepped slowly to the side, to the back, to the side… Hermione had to agree. "This song's right, you know." said Ron a while later, turning pink again. "Take comfort in your friends… 'mione, Harry and I'll always be here for you, watching over you, no matter what…" Hermione smiled at this unexpected display of affection from her usually humorous friend. "Oh, Ron…" she began, but Ron wasn't finished yet. "…so if that slimeball Malfoy dare…" 

"Ron!"

"Sorry."

__

*If you're on your own / in this life

The days and nights are long / When you think you've had too much

Of this life / To hang on

Well, everybody hurts / Sometimes, everybody cries

And everybody hurts / Sometimes

And everybody hurts / Sometimes*

A peaceful silence remained between them, holding each other casually, no sparks, and just a plain, simple, strong friendship. "Ron, thanks for everything." Hermione was the first to break the cessation of sound. "Like what?" 

"Being my friend. Defending me against the 'old' Malfoy."

Ron glowed. "It's okay. _I'm_ sorry." Hermione looked up. "What?" Ron turned even redder. "Well… for begin so mean whenever I got irritated with you… and you know… the remarks." Hermione smiled and squeezed his hand warmly. "Ron, I never took those personally… well, most of the time. But all in all, you've been a great friend. Thanks for that."

The music faded out to a violin solo, during which Ron escorted Hermione back to the table and reclaimed Parvati from Justin Finch-Fletchley's clutches. Harry reappeared a while later with Berna, his hair beginning to stick up again, with the Neatening Charm wearing off. She was offering to reinforce the charm when Harry waved her wand away and said "It's okay. I'd rather spend this night looking like the old Harry than having my hair flat." She smiled and shrugged. "Anything you say."

As the Corrs began to play an instrumental song, golden setting appeared on the tables, exactly one for each person. "Wonderful!" exclaimed Ron. Hermione held up a menu. "This will probably be like the Yule Ball, so start talking to your plates!" 

Draco took porkchops, much to Hermione's surprise. "How very… unDraco." she remarked, asking for lamb. Draco smiled and picked up his knife and fork. "Watch me." he said, and proceeded to cut up his meat in such a dignified way it made the whole Great Hall look like a pigsty. Harry picked up the empty crystal wineglass. "Will they let us take alcohol?" And as if to answer, the wineglass suddenly filled up with a warm liquid. Harry tasted it and exclaimed "Butterbeer!". Suddenly, people began talking to their wineglasses. Surprisingly, only the seventh years' glasses filled with wine or butterbeer, as the younger students got pumpkin juice. Draco coolly asked for a certain, French-sounding, very long named red wine, and the glass took quite a long time to fill. Ron was digging away at his steak and mashed potatoes, while Parvati was picking at her fish. Draco was discussing the fine wine to Hermione, while Berna and Harry were speaking in low whispers, with Berna giving Draco strange, cold glances, every now and then.

__

*I can't breathe, I can't sleep*

The wonderful blend of the four voices rang through the Hall once more, causing people to clap in appreciation as the band launched into a breezy song.

__

*He's uncool, an unsophisticat

He's a tightrope walker on an open path

He's a maze of curiosity

He is the living bread that cures my appetite

I find that I can't breathe and I can't sleep

When he's not around

Everyday is bluey grey

When he's not in town*

As the song played on, Ron made a friendly remark about Draco and Hermione according to the song. Hermione acted offended. "Excuse me, Ron! Draco's cool, sophisticated enough to put anyone to shame, and he has everything under control. However…" she gazed fondly at the smiling Draco. "…as for the rest of the song… it is _so _true." Draco leaned forward and touched his lips to her forehead. "I find myself a victim of relentless insomnia if I haven't kissed you at least thrice a day." As Hermione blushed, the rest of the table shared a bit of a laugh, except for Berna. 

__

*His mystique is one of innocence

I feel I'm lounging in lovely in his big blue eyes

And I would be preening in paradise

If I were always beside him like a Siamese*

"So there, Hermione! If you ever settled down with Draco here, you most definitely be preening in paradise." Harry laughed, as if all thoughts of his unrequited love were banished from his mind.

The music played on, beneath it the chatter of the student body, talking about the food, the music, their dances with one another. Hermione, listening closely, could hear bits of gossip from the tables that had, unfortunately, forgotten to put up a Silencing Incantation.

"Hermione… with the… Malfoy…"

"Outrageous… surprising."

"Last thing on earth…Potter."

"Bit of a surprise for him… ha!"

"Poor Potter… heart… stolen."

"Not a slimy git!… nice robes… all black."

She frowned and concentrated instead on her food, which was quite tasty, the house-elves having outdone themselves once more. The music came again, changing into a captivating, haunting song, more like a chant then anything else. "Don't they get tired? I'd be hoarse if I had to sing that long and that well." Harry whispered to Hermione. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Really, Harry! Andrea could have taken a simple Soothing Draft before they performed, or even between songs. And there are spells that let you play for hours on end. I believe the Weird Sisters… is that correct?… did the same years ago." Harry went back to his corn and carrots, satisfied that the Hermione he knew hadn't changed with the sudden appearance of a particular fair-haired young man.

__

*Now here you go again, you say you want your freedom

Well who am I to keep you down

It's only right that you should play the way you feel it

But listen carefully to the sound

Of your loneliness

Like a heartbeat drives you mad

In the stillness of remembering what you had

And what you lost*

Hermione noticed Berna's muteness and decided to do a good deed and get her to talk. "So, Berna, how are your parents?" Wrong move. Berna turned cold and looked at Hermione with eyes like ice crystal. "My father's off on business. My mother's fine, I guess." She faced Draco, eyes still glacial. "And by the way, I'm a pureblood, so don't think lowly of me." Draco looked mortally wounded, and pulling Hermione closer, retorted. "I don't think lowly of Muggle-borns. One girl changed my opinion drastically with one kiss up in the Astronomy Tower. I'm not _biased _anymore."

__

*Yeah, thunder only happens when it's raining

Players only love you when they're playing

Yeah, women they will come and they will go

When the rain washes you clean you'll know, you'll know...

Now here I go again, I see the crystal visions

I keep my visions to myself

Well It's only me that wants to wrap around your dreams and

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell

Dreams of loneliness*

Hermione couldn't understand the friction between the two at all, and as she gazed up at Draco questioningly, she was quite surprised to see his eyes blazing. She touched his hand cautiously. "Draco, please…" He looked down at her and lost his angry expression. He leaned back and placed a protective arm around her shoulders, leaving the remains of his dinner to disappear along with the wine in his glass. Berna looked away, watching the ribbons lazily float around the people who were beginning to dance again.

"The music's nice, isn't it?" Ron twirled a loose lock of Parvati's dark hair between his fingers. She playfully swatted him. "I agree." Ron waved an inquisitive fairy away and whispered something into her ear. Whatever it was, it was probably better their tablemates didn't hear them, for Parvati blushed furiously, giggled and allowed Ron to lead her back to the dance floor. They stood there for a while, their arms simply wrapped around each other, waiting for the music. It came soon enough.

__

*I was searching for an answer

In a world so full of strangers

But what I found was never really enough

Now that I've found you

I'm looking in the eyes of love (In the eyes of love)

Baby you've been good to me

Oh, so much more that you could know, yeah, yeah

I never thought that I would find

Someone who's so sweet and kind

Like you...*

Hermione smiled to herself, watching Ron and Parvati step together, Parvati's eyes half-closed, and a smile hovering on her lips. Ron looked like he was in heaven. Harry and Berna soon left their table, but with different partners. Harry had been looking at Hermione, but Ginny came over, and looked so pleadingly at Harry that he had no choice but to take the redhead in his arms. Berna was asked almost immediately by a shy Ravenclaw, Jason. 

Hermione felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around, and Draco leaned forward and kissed her by surprise. He pulled away too soon, whispering. "Dance with me." 

Who could resist?

__

*Long day and I'm ready - I'm waiting for your call

'Cos I've made up my mind

My heart aches with a hunger and the want that you were mine

No I cannot deny*

Soon Draco's hands were on her waist, and her hands loosely draped on his black-clad shoulders, their eyes seeing no one else but each other, smiles of contentment hovering on their lips.

__

*So for one night, is it alright

That I give... you

My heart, my love, my heart

Just for one night

My body, my soul

Just for one night

My love, my love

For one night, one night, one night*

There was the silence of two people who enjoyed each other's company so much that they didn't need words to fill the space between them. Then Draco spoke, softly as not to block out the melody in the air. "It's not for one night, is it?" Hermione looked up, he eyes shining. 

"Hm? What?"

"This. This magic… the kind I've never felt before. Tell me, will I be like Cinderella, and will this all be gone at the stroke of midnight, leaving only the memory of one beautiful evening in my love's arms?"

Hermione looked serious, yet light was twinkling behind her warm brown eyes. "No, this is here to stay."

Draco moved his hands to the small of her back, now smiling, moving her closer to him. "Beautiful." 

__

*When morning awakes me

Well I know I'll be alone

And I feel I'll be fine

So don't you worry about me

I'm not empty on my own

For inside I'm alive

That for one night, it was so right

That I gave... you

My heart (my heart...), my love, my heart

Just for one night (one night...)

My body, my soul

Just for one night (one night...)

My love, I loved

For one night (one night...), one night, one night*

"All I can say, Hermione, is that I'm eternally grateful to Professor Sinistra." Hermione looked up at Draco's puzzling words. "What do you mean?" Draco touched her lips with an intimate finger. "If it wasn't for her, we would never have been stuck up at the Astronomy Tower at midnight trying to figure out the star charts. Such twists of fate." Hermione shifted closer. "Such twists of fate…" she repeated. "Fate can be such a wonderful thing, don't you think?" But at those simple words, Draco's eyes clouded over. "Fate also lost me my father, you know." Hermione was silent, unsure of what to say… then… "Fate was also what got me such a fortune." He was smiling now. And Hermione was glad for that.

They walked back to their table, Draco's arm encircled protectively around Hermione's waist as the band struck up another, livelier tune. Draco suddenly looked up, recognizing the song. "I think I've heard this before… Hermione, would you excuse me? There's a rather lovely little pumpkin Pansy I'd like to try." He accompanied her to the table, where Harry and Ron were sitting, and walked off towards Pansy Parkinson, who was being accosted by Crabbe. As Hermione watched, he held his hand out courteously to her, and her eyes widened in surprise. But as the words of the song began, Hermione laughed out loud.

__

*You bored me with your stories

I can't believe that I endured you for as long as I did

I'm happy, it's over, I'm only sorry

That I didn't make the move before you*

"Good of Malfoy, isn't it? To dance with that Parkinson girl, even if the song _is _quite inappropriate." Ron leaned back in his chair, watching Justin Finch-Fletchley beadily as he danced with Parvati. Harry smiled at Hermione instead of scrutinizing Berna's dance partner… Ron was doing quite well for the both of them. "Hey, 'mione. Does Draco dance well?" "He dances _divinely_! We're so perfectly in sync, and the way he holds me is just _heavenly!" _she gushed. Harry laughed. "You owe me one… or two… dances, you know." 

__

*And when you go I will remember

To send a thank you note to that girl, (oh that girl)

I see she's holding you so tender

Well I just wanna say...

I never really loved you anyway

No I didn't love you anyway

I never really loved you anyway

I'm so glad you're moving away*

Draco bent down politely to listen to whatever Pansy was saying, then he faked a laugh, but sent a wink in Hermione's direction. She waved back and sent a red streak of cloth spinning their way. Ron finally leaned back in his chair and relaxed, Parvati going over to her sister's table to chat. "So, Hermione, don't forget, if…" Harry and Hermione cut in, reciting what Ron was about to say. "If Malfoy does anything stupid, come to us…" Ron laughed. "Okay, I get it."

__

*Valentino, I don't think so

You watching MTV while I lie dreaming in an empty bed

And come to think of it

I was misled

My flat, my food, my everything

And thoughts inside my head

Before you go I must remember

To have a quiet word with that girl

Does she know you're not a spender

Well I just have to say...*

The spirited music played on, and Hermione took of her half-full wineglass as Draco and Pansy slowed down. Then she felt a hand on hers. "Hermione, could you… no… um, would you dance the next dance with me? Please, as a friend?" Harry's eyes held a note of sadness, as if he knew she would turn him down. "Oh, Harry! We're not friends… please! We're _best _friends, and I see no reason to deny this dance." Harry grinned and sat back onto his chair. Then he twirled his wand and sent a red and gold ribbon flying across the room to Andrea Corr. She looked up and caught the ribbon, still singing the chorus.

*I never really loved you anyway

No I didn't love you anyway

I never really loved you anyway

I'm so happy you're moving away*

She read the words on it, her voice slowing down a bit, then she looked up and winked at Harry, who waved a shy hand in her direction. As the song ended, she smiled at the crowd and said "This is 'Love to Love You', and it's for two very special people… Harry Potter and Hermione Granger." Hermione blushed a brilliant scarlet, and Harry, a bit pink as well, got to his feet and bashfully held out his hand to her.

__

*I would love to love you like you do me

I'd love to love you like you do me

There's a pillar in my way you see

I'd love to love you like you do me*

Within the cheering and whistling crowd, as Harry tentatively held her close, Hermione sought out Draco. She found him with a bit of difficulty, as he was near the back, leaning against the wall, watching them dance, without expression on his face. Harry's suddenly shy voice brought her back down to earth, albeit slightly guiltily. "Thanks, Hermione." Hermione smiled up at him. "It's the least I could do for my dearest friend." Harry looked away, a faint surge of memory running through his mind. _"Isn't that exactly what I said about taking Berna to this Ball?" _He found Berna with his eyes, sitting at the Ravenclaw table, chatting easily with Terry Boot. Hermione followed his gaze, and her eyes softened. "She's a wonderful girl, Harry. I'm glad you're with her."

*_I met you on a sunny Autumn day_

You instantly attracted me / When asking for the way

God if I had known the pain I'd make you feel

I would have stopped this thought of us

And turned upon my heel

(Go you should leave me) Time make it be alright

(Go you must leave me) Time will help you see the light

(You don't need me) Time make it be alright

(Go you must leave me) Believe me when I tell you*

Harry looked down at her, taking in her loveliness, sighing for the strange pain that would not go away. _"Hermione, if you only knew." _Out loud, "Yes, she's great. She's a swell girl, easily understands me." Hermione touched his cheek lightly, and the innocent touch of her warm hand made Harry quiver. "I'm happy you've gotten over me. I love you Harry…" Harry's heart jumped, only to sink again at her following words. "…like a brother. But Draco and I have… _something_. It's something remarkable, but I just don't know what."

__

*I would love to love you like you do me

I'd love to love you like you do me

There's a pillar in my way you see

I'd love to love you like you do me

You recognised my barrier to love

I know there's nothing worse

Than unrequited love

So I prayed to God that I could give the love you gave to me

But something's lying in my way, preventing it to be*

Andrea continued to sing, glancing with mirthful eyes at the couple that was Harry and Hermione, who seemed to be talking earnestly, but moving with the music as the same time.

"Harry, maybe it could have been different. Maybe, if Lucius had stayed around, if Draco hadn't changed for the better…" Hermione was saying. Harry stopped her. "There. You said it. _'It could have been different.' _I know that, Hermione. Do you ever wonder… what it could have been like if you were with _me?"_

*(Go you should leave me) Time make it be alright 

(Go you must leave me) Believe me when I tell you*

I would love to love you like you do me / I'd love to love you like you do me

There's a pillar in my way you see / I'd love to love you like you do me

I would love to love you like you do me / I'd love to love you like you do me

There's a pillar in my way you see / I'd love to love you like you do me*

Hermione thought for a while, wondering at the emotion in his words. "Yes… at night. When I lie in my bed, and think of everything that could have gone wrong, or through different paths." Harry's eyes sparkled behind his glasses. "It would never have gone wrong, Hermione. I would have treated you like a princess, given you everything you ever wanted… Hermione, I believe we're truly meant to be." Suddenly, Hermione abruptly sensed Draco. _Everywhere._ In the swing of her earrings. In the warmth of Harry's hands, that had just a while ago, been Draco's, in the way she moved, so used was she to Draco's low, easy steps… then Hermione jerked her head up to meet Harry's eyes. "No, Harry. We were not meant to be. Fate works in strange ways, and I just don't think we could have turned out right."

__

*Break those pillars down

Break those pillars down

Take those pillars down, down, down

Oh, take those pillars down

(Love to love you like you do me)

Break those pillars down

(Love to love you like you do me)

Oh take those pillars down

(Love to love you)*

The band had begun to sing the fading end of the song, with one harmonious voice echoing the other. Harry's confidence seemed to have drained away, and he was now simply… _Harry. _He sighed, his glasses slipping down to the end of his Grecian nose. "I understand… I think. But Hermione…" he looked up, and Hermione, out of habit, pushed his glasses up for him. Harry smiled, and took her hands in his, stopping in the middle of the dance floor. "Hermione… I love you. I really, truly do."

__

*(Love to love you)

(Love to love you)

Take those pillars down

(Love to love you)

Hermione forced a smile. "Please, not this again." She tried to pull away, but when the violin sang its sweet melody, Harry loosened his grip. "Just one last dance. For your _friend."_ Hermione stopped, breathing hard. "Okay… just one."

Andrea smiled and said, right before her part came to sing. "For all the broken hearts out there… this is your chance to dance with the one who broke it in the first place." And she proceeded to sing in a slow, melancholy voice…

__

*Now she's walking through the clouds / With a circus mind

That's running wild / Butterflies and zebras

And moonbeams and fairytales

All she ever thinks about is riding with the wind...*

Harry held Hermione once more, for one last dance with the one who broke his heart. He was quiet for a moment, just savoring everything there was about her. The scent of her perfume, that fragrant mix of peppermint and floral incense, the touch of her skin, which was enough to make him light-headed with rapture, the way she smiled up at him, glimmers of the old, bossy Hermione, and the shining of the fresh Hermione, the one who he had fallen in love with, and the one who had fallen in love with another. 

*When I'm sad she comes to me / With a thousand smiles

She gives to me, free

It's alright, it's alright' she says

Take anything you want from me 

Anything*

Hermione was silent, keeping her head down, dancing slowly. Harry felt morose, though he was dancing with the girl of his dreams, holding her closer than ever before... there was something lacking. He glanced at the graceful curve of her cheekbone, at the slender line of her neck, and at the searching look in her brown eyes. 

The music kept on playing… and the pain just kept on throbbing.

__

*Now she's walking through the clouds / With a circus mind

That's running wild / Butterflies and zebras

And moonbeams and fairytales

All she ever thinks about is riding with the wind...*

"What will you do after school, Harry?" Hermione suddenly smiled up at him, and it seemed that the world was beautiful once more. "I don't know. Maybe take up Auror training…" Harry glanced up at the starry ceiling, and then at the stage, where the violin was still playing, and the girl was still singing.

"You?" 

"I might train to become an Auror as well. Won't that be nice?" Hermione twinkled up at him.

Harry felt a lump in his throat. _Nice? How shall I live every day seeing her in all her beauty, and knowing that she is never to be mine?_

"Sounds great, Hermione!"

__

*When I'm sad she comes to me / With a thousand smiles

She gives to me, free

It's alright, it's alright' she says

Take anything you want from me 

Anything*

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could see Draco Malfoy lounging at the table, idly summoning fairies towards him and creating silver haloes around Ron's flaming red hair. _He is lucky. He's got money, fame, fortune, and charm… and he's also got the loveliest woman in the world… Hermione Granger._

"Is everything all right, Harry?" Hermione looked just a bit worried. "I just can't cope with the thought that this will probably be the last we'll ever spend in Hogwarts." Hermione grinned. "Me too. Seems like only yesterday we were battling deadly plants, crossing giant chessboards, and trying to decide between poison, wine, or a tricky Flame-Freezing Potion."

"Seems like only yesterday you threw your arms around my neck and told me I was a wonderful wizard." Harry smiled down at her. "Really?!" 

"Yes… makes me wish it was yesterday all over again."

Hermione laughed and moved closer to Harry, walking straight into his arms. "Oh Harry! You're a wonderful wizard, you know that? Me, books… and cleverness!"

__

*Fly Little Wing...*

Harry tentatively stroked her hair. "Hermione…" She glanced up at him, her dark eyes unreadable. "Harry, please. Don't spoil the moment. Right now, we're friends. _Best _friends. Nothing more and nothing less." Harry was silent for the briefest of moments, his emerald eyes holding emotions far beyond comprehension. Finally…

"Yes, Hermione."  


__

*Fly Little Wing...

I want her to fly…*

The sweet tones of the guitar mingled with the violin, sending pleasant notes into the Great Hall. All around Harry and Hermione, dance partners murmured quietly, speaking sweet nothings. It was soon their turn.

Harry swallowed, and slowly brought his hand down to meet Hermione's. They broke apart, stopping all dancing, simply holding hands in the middle of a full dance floor. "'Mione… I just wanted you to know… all I really want is your happiness…" Hermione's eyes softened as she listened to Harry's sincere, honest words. "…just your happiness. Even if I'm not part of it."

__

*Fly Little Wing...

I want her to fly…*

Tears shone briefly in her eyes as she rushed into his arms. "Learn to let me go then, Harry. Please, let me go." Harry held her close and shut his eyes against it all… the pain of losing Hogwarts, the pain of losing Hermione.

"We'll always be the best of friends, you, Ron and I. I promise you that!" Hermione wasn't crying, but she seemed very close to tears. Harry embraced her one last time and pulled away, green eyes confronting brown. "Yes, Hermione. Just the three of us… forever." 

And with that, they parted. Each to their own. Hermione to Draco. Harry to Berna. 

Draco smiled and stood up almost immediately when his silvery-grey eyes saw Harry's hand leave Hermione's. He placed a protective arm around Hermione's waist, smiling down at her. Hermione reassured him that 'Potter didn't do anything to her.', but she just couldn't help throwing one last glance over at Harry, who was listening distractedly to Berna's tales, before she stepped outside into the cool embrace of the June night.

__

*A/N: Thankums to: SuckerForRomance (maybe this was originally harry/hermione…you never know!), Katana47 (I like the little Harry too! Ain't he cute?), IndigoDreamDate (I did mess up the dates, didn't I? *sigh* sorry!), Ryoko ('course there's another chapter! Here it is!), Ali (Oh, this really begins in 2001, the juicy stuff comes in later!), and Lissane (sorry 'bout the dates again!) *oh, and to Someone, who probably preferred an anonymous review… Thankee! I'm pretty flattered! Keep the reviews flooding in! 

Fare-thee-well! - AngeLa*


	3. It's A Traitor's Moon Tonight, My Dear

__

AN: Thankums to every one and two who wrote a review. *eeh… lame.* Anyhoo, chapter three's here! Juz wanted to fix something. The summary sez eleven years. This chapter, (and the first two) are set in the last few days of their seventh year. The real stuff comes on a bit later, when these characters are *ahem!* mature enough. But nothing past PG-13… I guess.

Dedicated to Berna (who is one and the same as CharmedHpfanatic), and to my pet rabbit, Stinker a.k.a Draco Miguel Malfoy, whom I bought on the field trip, and who is indescribably cute! To Nico D, as well, as my little birthday gift to my big "brother", on Feb. 13, his birthday it was. Also to Raf, my inspiration for the moonlit dance, and to everyone who reviewed!

I'd like to thank azlyrics.com for all the Corrs lyrics! (And CharmedHp for the Rent MIDI files!)

Disclaimer: The characters you recognize belong to JK Rowling, who in my opinion is a goddess. The plot, and the unfamiliar charas are MINE! Whoo! And the songs I'm using all belong to that wonderful Irish band called the Corrs. One song, though, was taken from the Broadway musical, Rent. Don't sue me. Ü

*In this chapter: A moonlit dance, snogging, pretty girls with dark secrets to reveal, great songs, great band, juicy dark, angsty stuff coming up a few chapters later. For all this… is just the beginning.*

Chapter Three: It's A Traitor's Moon Tonight

__

*Looking back on the memory 

The Dance we shared 'neath the stars above

For a moment all the world was right

How was I to know that you'd ever say goodbye

And now I'm glad I didn't know

The way it all would end, the way it all would go

Our lives are better left to chance

I could have missed the pain

But I'd of had to miss the dance

Holding you I held everything

For a moment wasn't I a king

If I'd known for a moment how the king would fall

Well then who's to say I might have changed it all

Our lives are better left to chance

I could have missed the pain

But I'd of had to miss the dance

-The Dance, Tony Arata

The cool night air rushed to Hermione like the outstretched arms of a long-lost friend. She smiled and breathed deeply, taking in the scent of moonshine and stardust, of green earth, and silver sky, of love and pain… of Draco. _Draco… _he was there, standing beside her, his arm encircling her waist affectionately. He was there, his scent of mint and cold night air, his smile that conveyed devotion for her and no one else, his coolness, his suave, his aristocratic tastes, pure Draco.

_He was like the night wind, cool, able to blow past you and bury himself deep into your bones, embedding all thoughts of himself into your mind, so as you seek shelter from the frigid howling of his desire, the obsession with the wind has now begun._ A strange line from an unknown author dashed through Hermione's brain, but she didn't bother searching for that unascertained name, all she wanted was to go out and get lost in the wild night with Draco. 

Harry looked up from his dance with Ginny when Ron sent a red ribbon flashing past Harry's nose, a sign they had established before the Ball. It meant, as Ron had delicately put it, "Look up and see what that slimy piece of flobberworm mucus is doing to Hermione!" Harry blocked off Ginny's chatter and the music momentarily, and he searched for Hermione's dark curls, and Draco's silver hair. He found them easily, as they were standing by the door that led out to the garden. They had their backs to the dance floor, to the stage, to Harry, and he could vaguely see Draco's arm around Hermione. They seemed lost in their own little world, which they probably were. Harry frowned. _How dare he… _"Is everything alright, Harry?" Harry looked back down at Ginny, who was looking quizzical, to Ron, who was gesticulating wildly over Parvati's head, to Hermione and Draco, who were already stepping out into the garden. 

Then he remembered his words to Hermione. _"We're best friends, nothing more, nothing less." "Yes Hermione." _He shook his, head, pushed his glasses up and smiled down at Ginny. "Everything's fine."

Draco led Hermione out of the Great Hall, his arm a warm and comforting weight around her. As they stepped out into the cool night air, Hermione gave out a small, stifled laugh at the splendor of the garden. 

Each little hedge had frosted in silver, green, blue, red and yellow, bringing House ambience to the piece of land. Thousands of scintillating fairies flitted past them, showing off their iridescent wings. The trees were draped with twisted ribbons that quavered with the slightest breath of wind, filling the garden with the impression of motion. The rosebushes were humming slightly, and if you drew nearer, you realized that they were singing in a sweet soprano. Hermione saw Teresa and Jason McKone a few feet ahead. She heard Teresa giggle, then bending close to a bush with yellow roses, whisper something that sounded like… _In A Rush by Blackstreet_. The tune of the rosebush changed, and Teresa and Jason sat down on the bench beside it, presumably to snog… Hermione thought. She and Draco walked in comfortable silence through the garden, past crystalline statues sparkling with fairies, past stone benches with people sitting on them and talking, past rosebushes with people in them doing something beyond talking…

Draco led Hermione over to a secluded bench where the rest of the garden was partly blocked from view. She sat down and shook her gown out. Draco leaned against the wall, the tiniest of smiles lingering on his lips. Hermione sighed and strained to catch the notes coming from the open doors on the other end of the garden. Draco noticed this, and whispered three incantations, one after the other. Suddenly, a faint blue mist appeared between them and the rest of the world, shining off Hermione's robes. At the same time, their little dance floor was filled with the music that was playing in the Great Hall. Hermione smiled at Draco, who was looking pleased with himself. 

"Privacy, Music Transferring, and a Soundproofing Charm darling. I was getting tired of Potter and Weasley breathing down my neck." Draco walked nearer and wrapped his arms around her gently. Hermione's eyes widened for a moment with the surprise of it, then closed the gently and placed her arms around him as well, swaying slowly to the beat of the song.

__

*I wonder… should I tell you

About all the crazy things that I have done

I've been hiding all my life

When I should have stayed

I tried to run...*

"Draco, we'll always be together, right?" Hermione shut her eyes against the pleasantly dizzying whirl of fairy light, resting her head on Draco's chest. "Forever? Tell me that this night isn't just some beautiful dream… because if it is, I never want to wake up and have to face the world again." Draco closed his eyes as well, taking in the smooth harmony of their bodies and the mellifluous music that he had magically sent to their private Eden. "This is no dream, Hermione. We'll be together, through thick and thin, through everything that dare stand in our way… _amor omnia vincit._" Hermione smiled to herself and moved her hand slowly to the back of his neck, running her fingers lazily through his blond hair. "Latin for… love conquers all. Yes, I believe that. Love has conquered Voldemort, love has saved the life of my best friend, not once, not twice, not even three times… but _everytime he came across Voldemort, he was saved._ That's the power of love, is it not?"

__

*I was searching for an answer

In a world so full of strangers

But what I found was never really enough

Now that I've found you

I'm looking in the eyes of love*

"The power of love…" Draco opened his steel-grey eyes and watched Hermione's lashes flutter against her cheek, the small smile on her warm lips as she spoke those words, as if affirming herself that everything was right in the world. "Yes, Draco. It's love's power that will keep us together, even though people will try to take it away, try to keep us apart." Suddenly Hermione opened her eyes and looked up at Draco. "You know what that bat Trelawney did a few days ago?" Draco smiled sympathetically, but continued to move to the music. "No dear, what did that overgrown mantis say?!" Hermione shook her head. "Something along the lines of: _Love has found you, but it shall be taken away, if the fates find their way. It will be snatched away, and never given back, unless you find the right, separate it from the wrong, and follow your heart." _Hermione laughed and stroked Draco's cheek. "You'll never leave me… I trust you that much." 

Draco scrutinized her with sparkling eyes. "I'll never break that trust."

__

*Baby you've been good to me

Oh, so much more that you could know

I never thought that I would find

Someone who's so sweet and kind

Like you...*

"I hope Harry's happy." Hermione's soft blue slippers made the grass rustle. Draco raised an eyebrow coolly. "With Berna? I doubt it." 

"Why? She seems perfectly nice."

"Ah, the key word there is… _seems._"

"Stop being so biased."

"I'm not biased. She is."

"What makes you say that, Dragon?"

Draco leaned closer and touched his lips to her ear, raising sensual goosebumps on Hermione's arms. "She's got her own dark past. Like me. Like Parvati. Let's just say…" His lips found their way down her neck. "The pretty ones hide the darkest secrets."

*Please believe me when I say

This time I won't run away

I swear be all the heaven's stars above

Now that I've found you

I'm looking in the eyes of love*

Hermione touched his cheek as he moved away. "Draco…" His expression changed into a warm smile. "Oh I get it! You're beautiful, Hermione, but you don't have any evil inside. Which makes you even more ravishing to me." They laughed and continued to dance, drinking in the bittersweet pleasure of that one last night.

__

*Looking in the eyes of love...

I can see forever,

I can see you and me

Walking in this world together

Oh, my heart's found a hope...

I've been dreaming of...

Now that I've found you

I'm looking in the eyes of love*

"We'll be seeing each other again over this endless summer before us… right?" That was Hermione, in such a bitter, sad tone that Draco looked down into her somber brown eyes. "What makes you say that?" 

"You'll be living with your mother, won't you? And she hates me, Draco."

"That doesn't mean I can't go down to wherever you're staying and visit you, right?"

"I live in a Muggle town!"

"When will your parents let you go?"

"Hm?! Eighteen, I guess… but…"

"There! Your next birthday, I appear suddenly at your doorstep and sweep you off your feet on silver wings, take you to my palace…"

"Draco!"

"Okay… maybe not to my palace. Mommy dearest might try to murder you while you sleep."

"Oh, stop it- " Hermione protested, but her next sentence was cut off by a slow kiss from the lips of a dragon.

__

*Looking in the eyes of love...

I can see forever, I can see forever

I can see you and me

Walking in this world together*

Hermione closed her eyes and lost herself, in the gentle touch of his lips upon hers, in the music swirling around her like the blood-red champagne in Draco's wineglass. _He's intoxicating… just like the… wine. Well, who's to say I can't get drunk on kisses?_

__

*Oh, my heart's found a hope...

I've been dreaming of...

Now that I've found you

I'm looking in the eyes of love*

The music slowed and stopped, and in the distance, through the magic Draco had cast, they could hear people clapping and cheering. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting this to go on forever, the pressure of his lips on hers, the way he caressed her hair… _forever. _

But the giggling from the garden outside their blue barrier startled Hermione, and she immediately stepped back. Draco pulled her to him again, whispering huskily "Nothing… never mind… leave… them." But Hermione turned away. She stared up at him with reproachful eyes.

"How?"

"How… what?"

"No, scratch that… where?"

"What where? Be quick, I was enjoying that."

"Draco, seriously. Where am I going to live?"

The music was starting again, and Andrea's voice echoed into their minds, making them jump. "This is a song from a Muggle Broadway musical called _Rent_. The song is called _Without You. _Hope you like it!"

The violin's haunting notes pierced the cool 10'o clock air around them. Slowly the keyboard joined in, then the singer's sweet voice.

Draco and Hermione stood there, invisible to the rest of the world, listening closely to what would be their last dance.

__

*Without you…

the ground thaws 

the rain falls… 

the grass grows

without you…*

Hermone looked up at Draco. "This is probably going to be our last night together." Draco's grey eyes softened, as he saw the sad look in hers. She lifted a graceful finger and traced Draco's elegant jawline, sliding it up to his ear. "Better make the best of it…" she whispered. Then, as Draco's eyes widened in surprise, she laughed. "What I meant was… well, aren't you going to ask me to dance? This is my last dance." Draco sighed, whether relief or disappointment, she did not know. All she perceived was his arms around her waist once again, the warmth of his body, and the tender look on his face.

__

*Without you

the seeds root

the flowers bloom

the children play…*

So infatuated were they for each other that they hardly noticed the blue sparkling wall behind them growing dimmer. They weren't even vaguely aware of the other couples in the garden, Teresa on the stone bench near them, sitting, talking to Jason over the soft tones of the song "_When You Smile_". 

Harry and Berna actually walked past them, holding hands, with Berna staring up at Harry and giggling prettily. Teresa and Jason's conversation was once rudely interrupted when Teresa shrieked and jumped back when the rosebush beside her shook violently and Ron and Parvati tumbled out with their robes half-off, very red in the face.

But to Draco and Hermione, they were lost in their own little world, where only two people existed, where there was no need for others, where there was no need of anybody else but each other. 

They could hear the smooth voice building up, and the finely tuned instruments, keyboard and violin, adding up to a melancholy melody.

__

*The stars gleam…

the poets dream

the eagles fly

without you

The earth turns

The sun burns

But I die

without you*

The drums started, making Draco grin down at Hermione. Draco leaned down and whispered two words. "Godric's Hollow." Hermione frowned. "Hm?" Draco pulled her closer. "Here's a little promise of mine. When you've settled everything with your parents, on the night of your eighteenth birthday, I'll Apparate to your living room, then sweep you off your feet and carry you away on silver wings. I'll rent a nice, cozy place for the two of us in Godric's Hollow. It'll take some getting used to, after my cold stone halls of wealth, but I'd rather live with you in the Shrieking Shack then rule the whole of England without you." Hermione smiled up at him, tracing his fine lips with her pink-tipped finger. "Thank you." she whispered.

__

*Without you

the tides change

the boys run

the oceans crash

the birds soar

the crowds roar

the babies cry

without you*

"Why Godric's Hollow, though?" Hermione asked, her head returning to it's position on Draco's chest. "Oh… well, I know for a fact that Pott- ahem! _Harry _will be staying there after school, as well. I thought you might appreciate living next door to your best friends." Draco, like so many years before, when Harry himself had refused to accept his friendship, turned the slightest shade of pink. Hermione's eyes widened with happiness and pleasure. "Draco! You didn't!" Draco laughed. "I did! Or at least, I plan to." He laid a finger on her lips. "Are you happy, my little book-worm?"

__

*the moon glows

the river flows

but I die without you*

Hermione stopped dancing and took his hands in hers, tracing the lines with her fingers, avoiding his eyes. But when Draco gently tipped her head back, her eyes shone with mirth. "I'm happy, Draco. I truly am." Draco nodded. "Good. Now I understand you haven't been listening in Divination lately, but what can you see in my palm?" Hermione frowned jokingly and pretended to scrutinize his palm seriously. "I see… a well-cared for palm, hmm… softer than a lady's. You're obviously very rich and spoiled. Hm… I can see the smallest of veins here in the back, you have a fiery temper when angered, but most of the time, you prefer the relaxed, calm and cool approach to antagonists. A long Life Line, oh my… a beautiful Health line… a wonderfully straight Love line… do you know what that means?" She grinned up at him, completely forgetting their dance. Draco shook his head. "Nope. Care to enlighten me, darling?"

The music reached a climax, the four voices echoing each other in a unisonant rhythm. Hermione and Draco stood there, under the stars, simply smiling at each other, speaking through the simple twinkle of their eyes.

__

*the world revives (colors renew)

but I know blue

only blue

lonely blue

within me blue

without you*

Hermione traced the line slowly, sending pleasant shivers up Draco's spine. "A straight Love line means…" Draco pulled her closer… "Oh come on, just… tell me."

__

*Without you

the eyes gaze*

"It means that…"

*the legs walk

the lungs breathe*

"that…" Hermione smiled as she watched Draco's perfect forehead furrow in indignation and impatience.

__

*the mind churns

the heart yearns*

"that you will be completely devoted to one very… very lucky girl." Hermione dropped Draco's hand gently.

__

*the tears dry

without you*

Draco raised an exquisite eyebrow. "And who could that fortuitous girl be? I wonder…" he whispered mockingly.

__

*Life goes on*

Hermione drew closer, flirting ever so faintly. "Oh, shut up, will you?" Draco took her face gently in his hands. "Gladly." And he kissed her.

__

*But I'm gone…*

Hermione shut her eyes as warmth flooded her whole body. _He is so… beautiful. _Her mind seemed completely incapable of any other thought as Draco's lips pressed tenderly on hers. Draco's fingers tangled in her hair, pulling her closer, because they both knew that his moment should last forever.

__

*'cause I die…*

Blindly, Hermione reached up to cup Draco's chin as his arm encircled her waist. _This kiss should be encased in silver crystal… I want to relive this over and over again… every day of my… life._

Then, there was cold air replacing Draco's warm body. Chilly air against her lips where there was once pure passion. She murmured something unintelligible and tried to pull him back, but instead, Draco just held her close. "Beautiful night, don't you think?"

Somewhere behind them, the music faded away, the last words and the last notes of the violin.

*without you…*

Draco stroked her hair, which was already coming out of her carefully charmed updo. "Thanks, Hermione." Hermione frowned. "For what?" Draco shrugged, which Hermione felt as a little shudder, since he was holding her so close. "Simply for making my last night here in Hogwarts absolutely…" He glanced down at her. Hermione laughed suddenly. "Draco Malfoy, lost for words?! The world _is _comign to an end!"

Draco frowned. "Shut up, Granger!" She lifted her face for another kiss. "Gladly." He gave in.

They broke apart to the sound of laughter and applause. _That's only the sound from the Great Hall… everyone's applauding the Corrs… _Hermione thought as Draco's intoxicating kiss began to take over her whole body, making her very bones melt. But as Draco suddenly jerked away, she realized that it _wasn't coming from the Great Hall…_

A fair-sized crowd had gathered on the other side of Draco's Invisibility Barrier… _wait a minute… _Hermione thought incredulously, her head still swimming form Draco's kiss… _what barrier?! _Beside her, she heard Draco whisper something that sounded vaguely like… _"Oh shit… it wore off."_

All she could do was stare dazedly at the cheering crowd. She heard Draco say something… much louder.. in a faux cheerful voice "Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed the show! Now everyone leave this place or get your head blown off by a very well-placed hex!" 

The crowd began to disperse, two by two, muttering among themselves, most with smiles on their faces at catching the usually bossy Head Girl and suave Head Boy snogging. Last to leave was Harry and Berna.

Draco watched them go with an expression of mild annoyance. Hermione sat down on the bench dazedly, staring up at the bright full moon. Draco ran his fingers through his hair and looked up as well. "Ah, the moon." Hermione nodded. "The moon… what about it?" Draco turned to her and caught her gaze in his, and it was as if his stare pierced her very soul. "It's a traitor's moon." Hermione's eyes widened. "What?" Draco shook his head and turned away. "We will be betrayed. By one we love…" he shook himself. "Never mind… I'm babbling. Wait for the crowd to leave…"

When they were alone again, Draco didn't bother putting up another Invisibility Barrier. He simply took Hermione's face in his hands and captured her lips in a searing kiss. 

With that one kiss, all his emotions were immediately spoken. He didn't want to leave her. He didn't want to go. He would see her again, and that was a promise… _he loved her with all his heart and soul. _

*because I die without you.*


	4. Correspondence

Fata Viam Invenient

Disclaimer: The characters you recognize I definitely don't own. The plot, though, the pairing, any out-of-character behavior, angst, suffering and bad writing is all mine! (Same for new characters.)

A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed! (Man, I just can't stop say merci, can I?) 

About my dates again, I mixed them up, and Hermione's true birthday is not on June 21, it's on September 19. (Thanks to Lissane for correcting me there!) I just made June 21 her birthday to commemorate CharmedHpfanatic's birthday. 

This chapter's dedicated to myself, as it is a rather difficult chapter to write… and as I am a rather difficult person myself. haha. And as always, to CharmedHpfanatic.

Oh, yes, this is dedicated to the Blue Team. We still rock, inspite of the sunburns, hoarse throats, and the tears… *sniff* Sorry, if I let you all down.

Most of all, this is dedicated to my late pet rabbit. 

Darling Stinker, my love for you will live forever. You, however, did not.

(And by the way, has anyone noticed that "Diagon Alley" put together sounds like "diagonally"? So I made my own "horizontally". Ü Cheers!)

Chapter Four: Correspondence

__

I dig my toes into the sand. 

The ocean looks like a thousand diamonds strewn across a blue blanket. 

I lean against the wind, pretend that I am weightless and in this moment I am happy.

I wish you were here 

I wish you were here 

- Wish You Were Here, Incubus

The next few months rushed by Hermione like speeding trains. She was powerless to stop them, yet she didn't want the trains to stop either, because for once, they were going exactly where she wanted them to go.

It seemed only a matter of days, but when she woke up one morning in her ordinary Muggle house, livened up only by the moving wizard photographs and her school materials tucked neatly away, her calendar told her that her eighteenth birthday was only three days away.

"Darling, I suggest you begin sending off those letters, 'coz you turn into a fully qualified witch in about 32 hours." Her calendar, in the shape of a book, opened and closed as it spoke these words, making Hermione jump. She snapped her fingers to quiet it and rolled her eyes, turning to her desk instead.

Harry had given her the calendar for her sixteenth birthday… when Ron had teasingly suggested he give her "a nice _book._"

Hermione picked up her quill and unscrewed her bottle of ink, getting ready to write more of the letters her calendar had so kindly reminded her about.

"I TOLD YOU TO START WRITING THOSE LETTERS!"

~*~*~

***June 11, 2002***

_Dear Ron,_

How are you? I hope you and Parvati are getting along quite well… knowing how you prefer your roast beef well-done, and she prefers hers slightly rare… 

How is it in Egypt? Say hello to Bill and everyone else for me! You can always check out that beautiful old Museum by the Nile, I heard it has a wonderful exhibit on the different kinds of flora and fauna in Egypt through the Ages. (The museum restaurant also serves very good iced ambrossiad… thought you might appreciate that.)

Ron, enclosed is a formal invitation to… well, I hope you've remembered my birthday this time! Mother insisted I write out formal invitations, but I would have liked to invite you in a simple, casual letter… 

Give my regards to Parvati and to all the Muggle skeletons in Pyramid Tutankhamen Thirteen.

I miss you all, except the skeletons previously mentioned!

Love,

Hermione.

Thousands of miles away, a very freckly redhead slit open the familiar-looking envelope, smiling expectantly. As he skimmed over the neatly written lines in that well-known handwriting, a pretty dark-haired woman came up behind him.

"Ronniekins?"

'Parvati, Hermione's turning eighteen in a few days."

"I knew that."

"Yes…"

"Of course you're going."

"No, Parvati… _we're _going."

"I knew that."

Ron laughed and kissed Parvati on her tanned cheek. "Of course you did. Now, into the trailer, Bill's calling us."

*~*~*

(Present)

_June 15, 2002_

Dear Harry,

I haven't heard from you for quite a while! Here's hoping this letter finds you in good health!

I hope you're fine down there in Godric's Hollow, I might as well drop by sooner or later. 

Well, speaking of dropping by… in this envelope, you'll find a very _formal invitation to my eighteenth birthday. It's really nothing too extravagant, just a few friends of ours… but Mother demanded I write formal invitations. You know how she can get._

Have you heard from Ron lately? He's back in Egypt, but he promised to Apparate in just in time for the fun. 

My best regards to Berna! 

Harry, I haven't seen you in a long time, either, so you'd better try and show up for this! Yes, Berna's invited too… from what I've heard, she seems to have become your third arm!

Miss you, and wish you were here.

Love,

Hermione

The tawny Hogsmeade owl flapped its wings, hovering beside the small window of the equally small apartment on one of the main streets of Godric's Hollow. A few minutes later, the window flew open and the owl flew inside, dropping an envelope on the modest bed, and flew out again, having done its job.

"Hermione!" came Harry's happy voice as he picked up the heavy envelope and slit it open. He opened the letter first, smiling as he read the quill-written words, savoring the fact that Hermione still hadn't given up on magical methods of going about her everyday life.

A while later, he carefully folded the letter and placed on his desk. Harry picked up the envelope, and peering at it curiously, shook it upside down, and a heavy folded piece of purple parchment fell out.

Harry unstuck the red and gold seal that held it closed and read the gold-inked sentences on the parchment. "Ah, my invitation."

~*~*~

(Present)

__

June 15, 2002

Dear Draco,

I'm fine, thank you for asking. 

No, you may NOT bring your Firebolt to the party! I might be having some aunts and uncles over… so no magical means of "sweeping me off my feet and carrying me away to your castle"… yet. 

I've packed, and Mother's taking it all awfully hard. Do be a good boy at the party, and soothe my mother's troubled mind. I trust you'll take my words to heart, and be the perfect gentleman you always are…. just no showing off of that moving photograph you took away from Colin Creevey… 

Again, Draco, I'd like to offer my condolences to your mother and you. Lucius Malfoy's disappearance in Africa has been declared official by the Ministry of Magic Department of Lost and Lonely Souls. I hope your mother is well, I've received word that she was very shaken. 

Enclosed is the invitation… you'll need it to get in the venue. 

As always, I love you.

Hugs, Hermione. 

He smiled as the letter fell onto his desk, the smile that had become so rare in the past few days. 

But why? His father was gone, and he was finally free. Free of all the rules, restrictions and family pride…

The only one other human in Malfoy Manor besides him was his mother, and he began to find her presence disturbing indeed. 

She would lock herself in her room for the whole day, at times, refusing food. Other days would find her outside on the grounds, staring at the monument erected in honor of the _late _Lucius. In vain, Draco tried to point out that there was no use mourning, as his father was not even declared dead, he was just missing… but Narcissa Malfoy insisted on the black robes, on the onyx jewelry, and the outrageously expensive monument of marble. 

Now, as Draco scanned the lines of handwriting so familiar and so dear to him, he frowned again, wiping away the pleasant smile. "I was looking forward to showing off that picture of us snogging like the world was about to end."

He stood up and walked to the window, looking out over the warm, sunny grounds. The black-clad, straight and proud figure of Narcissa Malfoy could be seen walking towards the monument, clutching another black rose in her hands.

Draco rested his forehead against the warm glass, watching his mother. "Then again, maybe the world _is _about to end."

~*~*~

__

Dear Hermione,June 16, 2002

I've waited through the whole month of May for this birthday of yours, and there's no way I'm missing it, come Hades or high water. I'll see you then, at eight, in the so-called Drunk Dragon. I just don't understand why any respectable young lady like you would want to celebrate her eighteenth birthday there, nor do I understand the cryptic instructions in your invitation…

I wish you were here, it can get pretty dull around here, with no one but Hedwig for company, and only Berna dropping by once in a while…

Oh well, see you then!

Love always, 

Harry

Hermione smiled and tucked the letter away in the bottom drawer of her cabinet. "You'll understand those instructions soon enough, Harry… soon enough." She reached for her quill, dipped it in purple ink and crossed off another name on her list.

~*~*~

__

Hermione, June 16, 2002

Wish you were here… you would have liked those museums.

What's with the Drunk Dragon?! Why would you celebrate there? I could understand a graduation party, or a butterbeer bash, but an eighteenth birthday?

You're up for some explaining, but if they serve good butterbeer… I'll rethink the speech I was saving up for you.

Oh, and get ready for some rather explosive resents from Fred and George, they've been walking around with rather silly grins on their faces for the last few days. Mum will be sending you candy, as always.

The skeletons send their love. So does Parvati.

Love,

Ron

Hermione laughed and crossed off another name. "Good, you're coming. No party will be complete without, Ronniekins."

~*~*~

__

Ms. Granger,June 19, 2002

This is to inform you of Mr. Malfoy's attendance of your eighteenth yearly observance on the twenty-first day of June, year two thousand and two. 

As agreed, the venue shall be at the Drunk Dragon, formerly known as the Singing Sorceress, in Horizont Alley, the sub-street of Diagon Alley. 

Mr. Malfoy sends reassurance that he shall not convoy the photograph you have asked him not to carry to this fete. We apologize for the belated notice, and if we have caused any delay in preparations, we ask pardon and offer our services.

Thank you for your kind invitation.

Sincerely, 

Anton

Malfoy Secretary

Attached to the previous letter, which was neatly written on heavy, expensive looking paper with the Malfoy seal stamped in front, was another, hastily scribbled letter on school parchment.

__

Dearest Hermione,

Apologies for that extremely stuffy letter. Anton insisted on writing it when he caught me going up to our Tower with my other letter in my hand. Stupid house-elf. (Sorry.)

I'll be there at your party, as the previous letter so verily told you, but I just don't understand why it has to be at the Drunk Dragon. I've been there before, you know, and it just isn't any place for your eighteenth birthday.

I'm more than willing to let you use our Ballroom for that, so send word if you want to. Mother wouldn't mind, I guess. She'll probably lock herself up in her room the whole night.

Wish you were here, I miss you so much.

Ballroom or seedy pub, I'll be there, but you knew that already, didn't you?

I'm willing to bet my father's Gringott's vault and _the secret chamber underneath the drawing-room that you've crossed my name off your party list the day you sent your invitation off._

Love, forever,

Draco.

"Draco, thank you so very much…" Hermione whispered into the warm air. "But I don't think I'll be needing your Ballroom… not for this occasion, anyway." She touched the rough parchment, and the last line, the one in slightly messy writing. "How did you know that?"

A small smile on her lips, she looked down at the list, not bothering to cross out the one last name "_Draco M. Malfoy," _because it was already blotted out.


	5. The End of The Beginning

Fata Viam Invenient

Disclaimer: All you recognize from the four Harry Potter books are property of Joanne Rowling, a name known almost everywhere by now. Everything else you don't recognize, such as the plot, Horizont Alley, the Drunk Dragon, any OOC behavior, whether good or bad, any bad writing, grammar mistakes and spelling boo-boos belong to me…

Dedicated to: My late beloved pet rabbit, Draco Malfoy Orlando Miguel, I still shed tears over your grave. Ate Gianne… we'll miss you so much! Please take care! To Catherine and Berna, 95% isn't that much, I guess. Finally to Paola, who left for Australia without even telling she was going. Some best friend.

Note: I'm in the middle of a very biiiiiiig writer's block, and if you've ever had it, you know it's horrible, like constipation of the brain. So, I'm trying my best to get these out, and the chapters are already short!

Oh, and the _blooming _thing, well, a little allude to Orlando Bloom, a most delicious elf. And it's also a joke we have in my school (CharmedHpfanatic knows this…) when you say "She's _blooming." _it goes along the line of "This girl has turned into a woman." 

Chapter Five: Sweep Me Off My Feet

__

And I would runaway

I would runaway with you

'Coz I have fallen in love

With you

And no matter what now,

I'm never gonna stop falling in love

With you

- Runaway, The Corrs

Harry fidgeted nervously. Beside him, Ron tugged at his bowtie, looking around apprehensively at the unsavory characters that leered at them from the dark walls of the Drunk Dragon. "Where can Hermione be? And what kind of place is this - " Harry was whispering to Ron out of the corner of his mouth, but he broke off instantly when a buxom waitress brushed past him and gave him a smile that would have made any boy begin to drool uncontrollably. Good thing Ron elbowed Harry first. "Stop it!" 

*** Around thirty minutes before ***

The same waitress smiled exactly the same smile at another young man, but this particular seventeen-year old, reacted much differently. He winked, nodded coolly, then turned away and walked purposefully to the back of the shabby pub. He stopped in front of a fresh painting of a girl dressed in light purple robes, smiling as he did so.

Draco Malfoy leaned close to the painting. "Hello, Hermione." The girl in the painting looked up, a smile adorning her face, like the flowers adorned her hair. "Draco! Hello… and welcome! I do believe you know the password?" 

Draco rolled his eyes at the painting. "I do believe I have been your boyfriend for the last few years?" The girl blushed charmingly. "Okay, and?"

Draco smiled at the painting, a smile guaranteed to charm your heart into pieces. "And what, pretty buttercup?" he replied, in a low, flirting tone. The girl in the painting smiled back, then suddenly put her hands on her hips. "Draco Thomas Malfoy, you are not, I repeat, NOT charming your way into here without the password!" 

Draco continued to smile, still talking in that same, sweet tone of voice… "Of course I wouldn't do that! You know, you sound so much like Hermione…" A little sigh for emphasis. "She's so beautiful, you know that? I'd give anything to see her again, I've missed her so much…"

The Hermione in the picture raised an eyebrow, but Draco continued to speak, his misty eyes fixed somewhere on the ceiling. "A wonderful woman, accomplished, wise, clever, beautiful… she was the closest to the perfect woman I have ever seen…" Draco suddenly broke off. "And you know," He winked slyly at the now-blushing Painted Hermione. "I _have _seen a lot of women in my time."

Just as he finished saying the last word, a panel in the wall slid open so quickly that Draco didn't even have time to step back.

There, wearing the same pretty dress robes as the Painted Hermione, was the real Hermione herself.

She glared at Draco. "Why exactly are you flirting with my painting?" She looked dead serious, but if anyone knew her as well as Draco did, they would see the tell-tale twinkle in her eyes. Draco shrugged. "Happy birthday, sweetie. Beautiful painting you have there. Looks exactly like you… so, you can see why she's beautiful, right?" Hermione crossed her arms and began tapping her foot. Draco looked up at her, eyes mildly bewildered. "Yes, Hermione darling?"

"The password?"

"Password? That's exactly what the pretty girl in the painting asked me… Is that why you got us here to this pub? Very dingy, if you ask me…" Draco looked around behind him. "Definitely not a place for a beautiful young woman's eighteenth birthday… especially you, Hermione. I could have let you throw your party in my Ballroom… you know I'd do anything for you, you're the light of my life…"

Hermione sighed and flicked her wand at Draco. "_Silencio." _Draco's lips still moved, saying words no one could hear, and Hermione now wore an expression of triumph. Draco stopped mouthing his words and looked at Hermione with an intense expression of self-pity and pleading in his merry silver eyes. Hermione shook her head. "You aren't coming in until you give me the password, with sound, or without."

Draco's shoulders slumped exaggeratedly, and he sighed mutely, shaking his head in defeat. Hermione smiled proudly. "Good! You admitted it!" She flicked her wand at Draco. "_Finite Incantatem." _

The first words out of Draco's mouth were "And did I mention? You look absolutely _stunning _in those robes!" Hermione sighed and beckoned him into the opening in the wall. "Save the flattery for later, Draco… You'll need it for my mum… Oh, and, don't tell me… you forgot the password?"

Draco smiled sheepishly.

***Present***

"Miss? Er… miss? May I speak with you?" Ron beckoned to one of the well-endowed waitresses serving at the tables nearby. She clicked towards them, her assets swaying from side to side, turning Harry and Ron bright red. "And what can I do for you two gentlemen tonight? She purred, leaning towards them.

Harry fought a fierce urge to cover his eyes at the sight of the woman's cleavage, and instead swallowed and spoke, in a very small voice… "Miss… _blooming." _

The woman stood up, puzzled. "Blooming? Suddenly, an expression of understanding crossed her heavily made-up face. "Oh…" She leaned towards Ron again, and murmured, with a lascivious wink "The cherry blossoms are in full bloom tonight. Would you like to taste their sweetness?"

Ron turned red enough to match the Gryffindor banner. "Um… oh no! That… that wasn't wh-what we were talking about!" Harry blushed as well, as he comprehended what the woman had just said. 

Ron, who so obviously thought that if he opened his mouth any further, he'd drag himself and Harry into a very… different situation than they wanted to be in at that very moment, waved his hand at Harry. 

Harry nodded. "Miss, er… thank you very much… but not tonight." The waitress winked again and walked away, licking her lips. Harry and Ron watched her leave with dumbfounded expressions on their slack faces. Ron finally faced Harry, swallowing hard. "What do you mean 'not tonight'?! Not ever, more like it!"

A familiar voice from beside them, which sounded strict and reprimanding, made then shut up. "Harry? Ron? Good, she's getting impatient."

***Inside***

"One frozen margarita. Cherry." Draco raised a cool, silver eyebrow at the waiter, who immediately turned away and began the margarita, afraid of the imposing ice demon that had materialized in front of him. Hermione walked up to the bar and placed her hand over Draco's, smiling. "Stop teasing them!" Draco turned back to her, and was about to capture her lips in a passionate kiss when Hermione raised an eyebrow in a sign that meant "Hold it!" Draco suddenly drew back. 

"Draco, this is my mother."

"Good evening, Mrs. Granger! Thank you for inviting me to Hermione's celebration, it's a wonderful event." Draco smiled charmingly and took the older woman's hand in his in such an appealing way that even the stern-looking Mrs. Granger smiled down at him. "Good evening to you, too, young Mister Malfoy. I would like to offer my condolences on behalf of your late father." The woman flicked her Spanish fan open and began to fan herself, though it was quite cool where they were. A change flickered over Draco's handsome smiling face, but he re[plied in the same, warm tone of voice. "Thank you very much. I apologize for my mother's absence, she is… still in mourning." 

Mrs. Granger's eyes took in Draco's sleek and stylish black suit. "Apparently, so are you." Draco nodded. "Yes, Ma'am. I am." Draco looked over the woman's shoulder, and caught a glimpse of Hermione behind her. Hermione waved her arms wildly and mouthed something. Draco dropped his eye in a very discreet _Huh?! _Hermione mouthed slowly _Harry and Ron aren't here._

"Madam, may I take you to your seat, and would you like a drink?" Draco took Hermione's mother over to a table that could seat six, and discreetly signaled Hermione over. Hermione sedately walked over, her heels muffled on the carpeted ground. She seated herself primly beside her mother, and nodded at Draco. "I'll get your drinks, Madam. What would you like?" 

"A small ambrossiad, and a glass of this… _butterbeer _for Hermione. Thank you so much, Mister Malfoy." Mrs. Granger nodded at Draco as well. "Please, Madam, call me _Draco."_

And with that, he swept away. From the corner of his eye, he saw Mrs. Granger lean over to talk to Hermione the moment he turned his back. To himself, he smiled a secret smile.

***In the Drunk Dragon***

"Ginny? What are you doing here?" Harry smiled at her. She smiled back. "For Hermione's birthday, of course." 

"Ginny? What are you wearing?!" Ron took one glance at her, and immediately threw his cloak over her. Ginny frowned at him. "It's for Hermione's birthday!" "Ssh! Can't you see where we are?!" Ron hissed, dragging her to sit down.

Ginny pulled her hand away and lobbed Ron's cloak back at him. "Seriously, haven't you guys found the entrance yet?!" 

"What entrance?" whispered Ron and Harry, leaning close. Ginny made a small sound of annoyance and turned on her heel, leaving them at their table. Harry shrugged at Ron, got up and followed her. Ron rolled his eyes and walked after Harry.

They stopped in front of the painting Draco flirted with a while ago. Harry took one look at the painting. "Oh, I get it…" Ginny grinned at the painting. "_Blooming." _The three of them intoned together, and the wall slid open.

***At the bar***

Draco leaned against the cold marble of the bar and surveyed the scene before him with amused eyes. He was in an expansive ballroom, though not as big or as grand as his own back in Malfoy Manor. Brightly dressed women and tall handsome men glided around the room in couples or in small groups. 

_Just like Hermione, to surprise us all by telling us she was throwing her bash in a seedy pub, then startling us with this._

Draco sipped his margarita and frowned slightly. "You are not… satisfactory." He told the cold glass. He turned back to the bartender and held out the glass. "Do this margarita over in front of me. I'll show you which is which." 

The bartender, with an embarrassed expression on his face, began to pour different colored liquids into a glass at Draco's directions. "No, no, no! You pour the light ice vodka over the ice, _then _the White Wand-Polish…just a little, mind you."

After a few minutes of Draco's careful and patient instructions, the bartender finally handed over a brand-new margarita. Draco sipped it, then looked up at the bartender. "Practice makes perfect."

When the bartender's back was turned, Draco pulled out his wand and tapped the glass, whispering the spell his own father used to say after every dinner time. The drink drained, and the glass refilled again. Draco took a sip and sighed. "Much better."

Over the rim of his glass, he caught Hermione's eye. He watched her excuse herself from her mother and walk over to him. _She's so beautiful… _

"I suggest you go and greet our friends at the entrance. Bring them to our table… okay?" Hermione touched his hand. Draco nodded at her. She looked around at her mother, made sure she wasn't watching, then grabbed Draco and pulled him to her lips. 

"There… being eighteen is fun, don't you think?" she walked away, leaving Draco to dazedly take a long drink out of his perfect margarita.

*** Back to Harry, Ginny and Ron ***

The blank wall slid open, and the three of them looked up expectantly, hoping to find a certain birthday girl. Instead, they found a certain Draco Malfoy, holding a glass in one hand, and a cool smile upon his lips.

"Oh. It's you." Ron's face contorted into the slightest of grimaces. "Yes, it's me." Draco smiled again. 

"Hello, Draco." That was Ginny. "Good evening, pretty woman." Draco amiably held out his hand and helped her into the room. 

"Good evening." Harry looked at Draco expectantly. "Yes, Potter? Shall I help you in as well?" Draco held out his hand a second time, smiling faintly. Harry shook his head and stepped into the ballroom, eyes widening. Ron strode in after him, brushing past Draco. 

Draco, pretending to be hurt, escorted them to Hermione's table. "Weasley, pretty robes you're wearing." he said, meaning Ron. Ron jerked around. "Make one more crack…" Draco suddenly held up his hands submissively. "They are nice robes. Really."

Ginny giggled, Harry grinned, and Ron fumed. Until they got to Hermione.

"Good evening, Hermione darling! Happy birthday! I caught these two in a rather… dangerous position, but, never mind, they're here!" Ginny bent down and kissed Hermione on the cheek. Hermione smiled and pulled out a chair for her to sit in. Ginny said a cordial greeting to Hermione's mother, and handed Hermione a small, wrapped present. Hermione hugged her and set it aside, while flicking her wand and pulling out chairs for the three boys to sit in.

Ron was grinning widely while he wished Hermione a happy birthday, and even more so when he greeted her mother. (Which led Mrs. Granger to shoot Ron curiously nervous glances every now and then.) Harry was smiling, a simple gentleman, as always, polite and mild, and in Mrs. Granger's case, appealing. Draco was the handsome suitor, accomplished, impressive and intelligent… and Mrs. Granger seemed very impressed with him.

The night went on well, with quiet conversation at their table, for everyone was wary of Hermione's mother. Draco enjoyed his "homemade" margaritas, while Ron was quite content with a fine blend of Wand-Polish, butterbeer, and ambrossiad. Harry settled for a gillywater with almond syrup. Ginny wanted a margarita like Draco's, after Draco let her take a sip, but Ron put his foot down and ordered her a Nectarine Pole instead. (Draco, always happy to oblige, secretly spiked it for her, with her permission, of course.)

They saw their old friends again, that night, and even a few Hogwarts professors. Parvati was there, arriving later than Ron did, because she missed the Portkey time. Berna came with her, and they got to pass through a different entrance. ("Because they're _girls." _Hermione reasoned, when Ron complained.)

Parvati and Ron were a delightful sight, teasing and flirting with each other through playful banter. Berna and Harry were the more sedate, quieter, and more reserved couple, but with the way Berna's eyes shone when she spoke to Harry, it was obvious she was in love.

Draco and Hermione, though, outshone every couple in the room. Even Berna paid them the compliment. "You look absolutely perfect for each other. Hermione, he loves you, he truly does. I can see it in his…" Berna broke off, looking over her shoulder at Draco. "eyes."

Hermione smiled happily, thinking that Berna had finally accepted the Slytherin for what he was, a perfectly good young man.

But only Draco noticed, that when Berna turned away, her eyes held a cold expression not unlike distaste… or worse. 

The night was ending, but still people lingered around the bar, around their friends and loved ones, and over their drinks. Fred and George had shown up towards the middle of the party, and proceeded to alarm the guests… in a very un-Fred-&-George way! They had brought no Exploding Presents, nor Biting Tea-Cups, not even one Ton-Tongue-Toffee… but they had brought: Themselves.

They walked around the large room, "entertaining" the shocked guests with "pleasant tales."

"And then, the Chimaera swept in on Fred…" That was George.

"But George here knocked me out of the way - jolly good fellow - and jumped onto the beast's back!" Fred cut in, waving his hands for emphasis.

"Then I pulled him onto the crazy brute's back - right between the wings, yes, yes - and we were _soaring _through the sky!"

Other times, it was:

"Why, yes, Madam, as a matter of fact, I _have _been to the Philippines."

"Yes, yes, _wonderful _place! Terrific people there, hospitable."

"Yes, Madam, we even got a bit of their native language down to pat!"

The twins, who, at that moment, had been talking to a severe-looking aunt dressed in a rather eccentric feather boa, and trying to impress, stood back and cleared their throats importantly. 

"_Bab-ah-e, ah-hng pah-ngeet ng su-ot mo-h, at ah-ng pah-ngeet rin ng muk-ha mo-h."_

In stereo sound.

People who knew how to speak that language burst out laughing, and the twins looked at each other, wondering what they had just said. The aunt, taken aback, stalked away. Suddenly, the twins rounded on Draco, who was close to laughing out loud.

"Malfoy, you better tell us what you just told us to say!" Fred was on the verge of grabbing Draco by the neck of his beautifully made robes. George brandished a piece of paper under Draco's nose at the same time. "Yeah, what's this mean?"

Draco pushed them away and brushed off his robes, a twinkle in his eye. "What did I tell you it meant?" He mocked them, pretending to think… "Oh, yes! That's supposed to mean "Woman, that is a beautiful dress, and a beautiful face to go with it." 

He grinned. "Ah, the infamous Weasley twins caught in a prank by someone else…" George waved his wand threateningly. "Well, Malfoy?"

"You just said exactly the opposite of my little translation."

Fred paled, and _did _grab Draco's robes, but Draco held up a hand, before he was beheaded by a furious twin. "Ahem… Hermione's beginning her speech."

~*~*~

Hermione, trembling ever so slightly, climbed up onto the small, carpeted platform, holding a small bunch of parchment notes in her hand. She performed the _Sonorus _charm, and the Muggles in the crowd jumped as her soft voice echoed around the room. 

Draco went to sit down at the same table occupied by Ron, Parvati, Berna and Harry, and he was accepted, though Berna drew her chair slightly away from him.

"My family and friends, words cannot express my gratitude at seeing you all here tonight, at my eighteenth birthday-" Hermione's voice was trembling, but she looked around confidently, and her mother drew herself up proudly.

"I'd like to thank you all for making the effort to come to my little celebration." 

Draco looked around the grand ballroom, at the lavish food and exquisite decorations and raised an eyebrow. "Little?"

"For me, life has been like a path, twisting and turning, looping and curving. Sometimes, I even find myself running around in circles. My path has been rocky, with potholes and dangerous slippery spots, but with the help of each and every person here, my path has been made a little easier to walk on. I thank you for that."

Applause. Hermione glanced down at her notes, straightened herself up, and began to speak in a calmer, more relaxed voice.

"The path of my childhood lies behind, but so much more lies ahead. I take this moment to look back on my path, and smile, and maybe shed a tear or two, for though I'll never be able to travel that path over again, the memories I have collected along the way will still live on."

Harry swallowed hard. Berna patted him on the back.

"Now, I turn to what is ahead of me. I see the path, more dangerous and harder to travel than before. A little part of me doesn't want to take that step, to begin the journey down another road, because it's hard to let go of my childhood."

Complete silence.

"This event, that we celebrate tonight, commemorates my footprint. The very second I step down from this platform, I become a woman. I become a fully-qualified witch."

The Muggles flinched.

"I become Hermione Granger, for the very first time."

Ron wore a puzzled expression. "What's she getting at? For all I know, she's been Hermione Granger for as long as I've known her." Parvati shook her head. "No, Ron, it's about self-discovery, about finding your true psyche." Ron goggled at her. "You sound like Trelawney." "Heaven forbid!"

"The road is dangerous, for I have been granted a new freedom. The road is hard, but I have been given graces to get through it. The road is wearisome, but with everything everyone here has given me, I'm sure, that I'll be able to get through."

Hermione closed her eyes, and the entire room held its breath, waiting for her tears to fall.

None came, but when she opened her eyes, they were shining bright.

"In my heart, there still resides that little feeling. The feeling that, if I ever do step onto the road, I will fail, I will fall. The feeling that the world is an overwhelming thing, out there to get me. 

"It is just a little feeling, but when I stop, and look back at all you have ever given me, the trust, the love, the friendship and truth, I suddenly realize…"

Hermione stopped speaking, head bowed. Draco suddenly made a move as if to stand up from his chair, but Harry held out his hand. He glanced at Draco, emerald eyes sparking against blue-silver opals. On simple word. "Don't."

Hermione raised her head, eyes brighter than ever before, one stubborn tear sliding down her cheek, but voice strong and sure.

"It's just this little feeling, but when I look back at all you've ever given me, at all the love, trust and friendship, I suddenly realize that the little feeling could never compare."

The _Quietus _charm. Applause. Tears. Happiness. And the feeling of finality. 

She stepped down from the platform, smiling, and the applause grew louder, and Mrs. Granger was seen wiping a tear from her eye. Then, from the cheering crowd, two people stepped forth, the two people Harry had missed. 

Professor Dumbledore, all twinkling blue eyes, stepped forward to meet Hermione, and Professor McGonagall followed close behind. They greeted her, and spoke to her in whispers, then handed her a roll of parchment. Hermione, upon unrolling it, burst into happy tears, and actually hugged the astounded Headmistress.

Draco hurried over, worried. "Hermione? What's wrong?" But Hermione, smiling like the sun through her tears, thrust the parchment at him. Draco unrolled it again, and with Harry and Ron looking over his shoulder, skimmed the short, official-looking lines.

"Hermione!"

"Yes?"

"Finally!"

__

This is to officially announce Ms. Hermione Anne Granger, top graduate of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as a Fully-Qualified Witch, 

as of the twenty-first day of June, year two-thousand and two.

Witnessed:

Albus Dumbledore - Minister of Magic

Minerva McGonagall - Headmistress of Hogwarts


	6. Apologies, Excuses, Advertisement, Grati...

To everyone who's read this fic, regardless of whether you've reviewed or not, 

(That would be nice, though… hint!)

So, The Beginning ends. First of all, you might be wondering why I changed the title. 

You see, this is NOT **the** _Fata Viam Invenient. _I found out that I was getting too… _wordy _with the story. 

I mean, this part wasn't even in the original plot that I and CharmedHpfanatic had worked out. 

So, I decided to make this simply a prequel, because if I made it part of the real _Fata, _well, there would be one big nasty gap between this and the darker, angstier, more intricate plot. 

And we wouldn't want that, would we?

The real _Fata Viam Invenient _will be up soon, and I hope you guys can take the time to read and review it. It's much more mature than this one, and it's probably going to be much, _much_ longer!

Now, apologies: To anyone who thinks I might have plagiarized a sentence or two from their stories. If I have, sorry, but I didn't do it intentionally. Haha.

Excuses: If _Fata _isn't up as soon as you thought, you can blame:

My graduation. They are making such a big fuss over a bunch of seventh grade graduates! *augh!* My parents. Won't allow me near a computer and keeps me strait-jacketed most of the time. Me. And my laziness. Enough said. 

Here's the nice part!

Thankums to:

Katana47: I love your reviews! Thanks for dropping a review everytime I upload a chapter, makes me so 

happy! *grins* You're one faithful reviewer, and I love you! D/H rules, right?

fluffyrose: The Corrs rock! hehe… I love secret relationships too. *looks around* anyone?

little trumpeter: Yes, be afraid for Draco and Hermione, for I have GREAT plans in store for them! Bwahahaha! To find out what those plans are going to be, read Fata Viam Invenient!

Jessica: I love writing long sentences, the more descriptive, the better. But I get carried away, and this is a perfect example of my *carried-away-ness*

Icy Stormz: Love your name! Thanks for the compliments, I love flattery. *blushes*

Fearless Kitty: Don't cry! Aw… I can't handle people crying, only in fics!

Chloe Riddle: Yes, here's the last chap!

looking for my bong: You are going to love Berna sooner or later. I love her, and I love Cat! I like details, you know.

Sucker For Romance: I'm a sucker for romance too, but I prefer angst. Ü And nope, sorry, but I'm keeping this D/H. Or maybe not… 

Crimson Tears: I'm like my writing. I've got an edge, and I'm very cynical. Thanks!

Ally-sama: Yes, the exclamation points get the point through to me. 

Book-Lover-210: Oh, you like the long chaps, eh? *cackles and rubs hands together evilly*

Teresa P. Malfoy… (",):' Do I know you? *winks* ehehe… hello! I didn't end this as angst, but wait for the real story!

Quimberly: I'm getting deeper, and deeper!

Liz Malfoy: Yes! A fellow D/H shipper! Hallelujah!

Ryoko: No, no, no. Harry is _definitely _not giving up that easily!

Someone: You know, I wish you left your e-mail add, because I would have sent you a very long and happy and thankful email. You're terrific, you perked up my entire week.

Indigo Dream: Thanks for the correction, I needed that!

Ali: Hey, thanks too!

Lissane: Omigod! She reviewed! I loved your fic "Love is a Battlefield" Wee! Thanks for the dates correction, and I had to make Hermione's birthday in June, as a little thankee to CharmedHpfanatic. Hope you don't mind that much.

Draco's Silver tabby cat girl: YES! THANK YOU!

To Catherine, who never got to review, but who inspired the story in me in the first place, and who cried when I told her about the surprise ending of Fata Viam Invenient: You heard it first! Thanks so much, dah-ling!!! I hope I get to see you over summer… take care!

And last, but definitely no least, to: CharmedHpfanatic a.k.a Berna, my beta, my idea-girl, and my friend (and Catherine's sister!): Alright! I cannot say thanks enough! I love you *Piolo!* (haha, Sprite commercial, no?) Thanks for everything, and sorry if I didn't get to tell you this change earlier! See you in Fata! Take care over there.

Yes, I know I'm unfair. *smirks Draco-style* And yes, Buko Pie! Oh baby… I can't wait to get Fata up and rolling! Blue rulez, and Ate Gianne is sorely going to be missed.

Cowboys!!! Redskins…NOT! (All Blue Team expressions courtesy of Ate Pat. Ü)

Love you all!

~ Archangela ~

__

Dedicated to all Blue Cowboys, and to all who will be moving away next year, Anna A. (Blue Cowboy, you are not, friend and confidante, you are!) Mayen (still not blue, but friend all the same), Ate Jet and Ate Jam (you will be missed!), Ate Nani, and Ate Anna.


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